The WTA Finals, the season-ending championship featuring the top eight singles players and doubles teams, will depart Saudi Arabia a year ahead of schedule and move to the Indian Wells Tennis Garden in California for the 2026 edition. The tournament is set to take place from November 8 to 15.
Originally scheduled to be held in Riyadh under a three-year contract starting in 2024, the WTA Finals has been hosted in Saudi Arabia for two consecutive years. In a joint statement, the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) and the Saudi Tennis Federation announced their mutual agreement to end the hosting arrangement early, with both parties expressing pride in the progress achieved during their partnership.
The event’s tenure in Saudi Arabia marked a significant moment as the first major annual women’s sporting event held in the kingdom. Last year’s final saw Elena Rybakina claim victory over Aryna Sabalenka, receiving a prize of $5,235,000, the largest payout in women’s sports history. The presence of the WTA in Saudi Arabia drew considerable criticism from some quarters, with opponents accusing the tour of facilitating sports-washing—a term used to describe the use of sports events to improve a nation's international image. Supporters, including the WTA and the Saudi Tennis Federation, emphasized the positive impact of the tournament on promoting women’s sports and tennis development within the region.
According to the joint statement, the partnership reached over 30,000 individuals through various community programs. These initiatives included workshops for women coaches, training sessions for physical education teachers, and tennis clinics for breast cancer survivors. The outreach efforts aimed to inspire girls and young women, highlighting the event’s role in raising the profile of women’s tennis both locally and globally. The tournament reportedly saw a 20 percent year-over-year growth in attendance, with sell-out crowds attending the final days of competition.
While the WTA Finals will no longer be staged in Saudi Arabia, the kingdom continues to expand its footprint in men’s professional tennis. Saudi Arabia is set to host a new ATP Masters 1000 tournament, anticipated to begin around 2028, further establishing its role in international tennis.
The move to Indian Wells returns the WTA Finals to a venue renowned for hosting one of the most prestigious combined ATP and WTA events, offering a familiar and established setting for the sport’s season-ending championships.