WTA pivots, moves Finals from Riyadh to Indian Wells

WIMBLEDON, England -- This year's WTA Finals will be moving from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to Indian Wells, California, the organization announced in a series of statements Wednesday.

Riyadh drew criticism when it was announced as the host city in 2024 due to Saudi Arabia's record on human rights. This year's event was slated to be the third and final year for the event in the Middle Eastern country.

There had been multiple reports in recent months that the Finals would be moved following the conclusion of the three-year deal. In a joint statement with the Saudi Tennis Federation, the WTA said it requested to move the tournament early. The Saudi Tennis Federation accepted WTA's proposal, and the two organizations "mutually agreed on the conclusion of the hosting arrangement."

Both organizations said they were "proud of the impact their partnership has had on the growth of women's tennis and the development of the sport across Saudi Arabia."

In a separate statement, the WTA announced Indian Wells as the new home for this year's Finals. Already host to the 1000-level BNP Paribas Open in March, a joint event for the WTA and ATP, the site's main arena, Stadium 1, can hold over 16,000 fans and is the second-largest outdoor tennis stadium in the world. The BNP Paribas Open reported record attendance in 2026 with over 500,000 fans on the grounds over the tournament's duration.

"The Indian Wells Tennis Garden provides an exceptional stage for the WTA Finals," Valerie Camillo, the Chair of the WTA, said. "From its world-class facilities and passionate fan base to its proven ability to deliver premier tennis events, the venue offers everything needed to showcase the very best of women's tennis. We are excited to bring the WTA Finals to Southern California and continue building one of the premier championships in global sport."

Scheduled to be held from Nov. 8-15, the WTA Finals features the top eight singles players and the top eight doubles teams.

After five seasons in Singapore from 2014 through 2018, the event has moved several times and struggled to attract fans. Having signed a 10-year deal to hold the tournament in Shenzhen, China, the WTA Finals took place there in 2019 but was cancelled due to the COVID pandemic in 2020. The event was then temporarily moved in 2021 to Guadalajara, Mexico due to pandemic-related travel restrictions.

The WTA again temporarily relocated the event in 2022, citing concerns about the safety of Peng Shuai, a former player who accused a Chinese government official of sexual assault. Played in Fort Worth, Texas with little time to market the event, the tournament was plagued with low attendance.

In 2023, the WTA announced in September the event would be moved yet again to Cancun, Mexico. That venue was widely criticized by the players for its subpar conditions. It announced the three-year deal with Saudi Arabia in April of 2024 to a mixed reaction from players and fans.

The WTA did not indicate future plans for the event beyond 2026 in their statements on Wednesday.

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