Saudi Arabia to host WTA finals for next three years

The season-ending WTA Finals will be held in Saudi Arabia's capital Riyadh from 2024-2026, the women's tennis body said on Thursday, ending months of speculation and marking the Gulf country's latest foray into the sport.

Riyadh will host the season finale - which features the top eight singles players and doubles teams - from November 2-9 and replaces last year's hosts Cancun, Mexico.

The WTA said its agreement with the Saudi Tennis Federation will offer record prize money of $15.25 million this year with further increases in 2025 and 2026.

"To have a women's tournament of this magnitude and profile is a defining moment for tennis in Saudi Arabia. The WTA Finals has the power to inspire far beyond the sport, especially for our young girls and women," the Saudi sports minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal Al-Saud told Reuters.

Talk that the event could be shifted to Saudi Arabia had intensified after the men's ATP Tour said last August its Next Gen Finals would be held in Jeddah from 2023 to 2027.

"The WTA selected Riyadh following a comprehensive evaluation process over several months, which has included assessment of multiple bids from different regions and engagement with players," it said in a statement.