The season-ending WTA Finals will be held in Charlotte, North Carolina for at least three years from 2027, as the Women's Tennis Association announced its plans for the future following the conclusion of its partnership with Saudi Arabia.
In July, WTA decided to relocate the November 2026 Finals to Indian Wells, California after ending an agreement with Riyadh that was backed by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund.
Now, the WTA Finals – featuring the season's top eight singles players and doubles teams – will be played at Charlotte's Spectrum Center from 2027.
WTA is trying to fill the substantial financial gap left behind by the PIF and chairperson Valerie Camillo said the WTA will operate the event itself, creating a public-private partnership involving the city, county, state and local corporate community.
“The WTA will be taking greater ownership and control of the event and investing alongside our partners,” Camillo said, adding the tour aims to build the Finals into the “Super Bowl of women's sports”.
“Women’s tennis has spent generations helping push women’s sports forward, and we have an opportunity now to lead again by building a championship experience that reflects just how far women’s sport has come and where it is going next.”
Financial details of the Charlotte plan were not disclosed ahead of a planned announcement by local partners.
“This is a transformational moment for Charlotte and for our organisation,” said Will Pitts, CEO of the Charlotte Sports Foundation.
“Bringing the WTA Finals to our city is a testament to what Charlotte has become as a world-class sports destination, and we are incredibly grateful to the WTA for their trust and partnership in making this vision a reality. None of this happens without the support of our partners at the state, city, and county levels, and we are deeply thankful for their commitment to growing Charlotte's sports footprint.”
The WTA Finals in Riyadh in 2024 was the first professional women’s tennis event to take place in the kingdom.
Coco Gauff clinched the 2024 title at King Saud University’s indoor stadium in Riyadh, taking home a record $4.8 million. Elena Rybakina earned $5.235m, the largest single tournament prize in tennis history, after winning the WTA Finals in 2025.
