The WTA Finals (formerly known as the WTA Tour Championships[3] or WTA Championships) is the season-ending championship of the WTA Tour. It is the most significant tennis event in the women's annual calendar after the four majors, as it features the top eight singles players and top eight doubles teams based on their results throughout the season.
| WTA Finals | |
|---|---|
 2024 WTA Finals | |
 | |
| Tournament information | |
| Founded | 1972 |
| Editions | 53 (2024) |
| Location | Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (2024–26) |
| Category | WTA Finals[1] |
| Surface | Hard - outdoors |
| Draw | 8S / 8D (since 2014) |
| Prize money | $15.25M [2] |
| Website | wtafinals.com |
| Current champions (2023) | |
| Singles |  Iga Świątek |
| Doubles |  Laura Siegemund  Vera Zvonareva |
The tournament predates the WTA Tour and started in 1972 as the championship tournament of the Tour's predecessor: the Virginia Slims Circuit. Since 2003, the tournament has used a unique format not seen in other WTA Tour events: the players are separated into two groups of four, within which they each play three round-robin matches. The top two players or teams from each group after the round-robin stage move on to a knock-out format in the semifinals and final to determine the champion.
The WTA Finals has the largest prize money and ranking points after the majors. The most successful player in both singles and doubles history is Martina Navratilova, with eight singles and 13 doubles titles.
In the tournament's current format, the champion can earn a maximum of 1,500 ranking points, if they win the event as an undefeated champion in the round-robin stage.
Tournament
editHistory
editThe championships were held for the first time in October 1972 in Boca Raton, Florida (USA) as a climactic event at the end of a series of tournaments sponsored by Virginia Slims, called the Virginia Slims Circuit.[4] From 1972 to 1974, the event was held in October, before switching to March from 1975 until 1986. The WTA then decided to adopt a January–November playing season, and so the event was switched to being held at the end of each year. As a consequence, there were two championships held in 1986.
The event was held in Los Angeles, California from 1974 to 1976 before moving to Madison Square Garden in New York City in 1977. With the exception of a one-year move to Oakland, California in 1978, the Championships remained at MSG until 2000. The event then briefly moved to Munich, Germany in 2001. More recently, it moved back to Los Angeles from 2002 to 2005. The 2006 and 2007 editions were held in Madrid, Spain. Doha, Qatar hosted the 2008–2010 editions before passing the flag to Istanbul, Turkey, which hosted the 2011–2013 editions.[5] For the right to host the 2014 edition and beyond, 43 cities expressed an interest before a short list comprising Kazan, Russia; Mexico City, Mexico; Singapore; and Tianjin, China was drawn up in late 2012.[6] Kazan and Mexico City were ruled out in early 2013[7] before Singapore was announced in May 2013 as the new host city for five years.[8][9] In 2018, the WTA announced the host city from 2019 to 2028 would be Shenzhen, China,[10] however due to COVID-19 and later the disappearance of Peng Shuai, the tournament was cancelled in 2020 and had to find alternative hosting sites from 2020–2023.[11][12] In April 2024, the WTA announced that the host city from 2024–2026 would be Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.[13]
Format
editFrom 1984 to 1998, the final of the championships was a best-of-five-sets match, making it the only tournament on the women's tour to have had a best-of-five match at any round of the competition.[14] It was the first time since the 1901 U.S. National Championships that the best-of-five format was used in women's matches.[15] In 1999, the final reverted to being a best-of-three-sets match. From the 1974 until the 1982 edition the doubles draw consisted of four teams; then from 1983 to 2002 the draw increased to eight teams; was decreased back to four teams until 2013 and from the 2014 edition onward it has been made up of eight teams. From its first inception in 1973 until 2018 the doubles draw was played in a single elimination format. In 2015 and from 2019 until the present the doubles draw has been played in a round robin format.[9]
Qualified players and teams participate in a round-robin format in two groups of four. The winners and runners-up of each group advance to the semifinals. The semifinal winners progress through to the finals where they compete for the title.
Qualification
editTo qualify for the WTA Finals, WTA players compete throughout the year in over 53 WTA tournaments throughout the world, as well as the four Grand Slam events. Players earn ranking points on the Porsche Race To Shenzhen leaderboard, and the top 7 singles players (and usually top 8) and top 8 doubles teams on this leaderboard at the conclusion of the year (as of the Monday following the final regular season tournament) earn the right to compete in the WTA Championships. For singles, all results from that year count towards a player's ranking. The eighth spot in singles is not guaranteed a place in the finals as the WTA has some leeway per the WTA rules.[16]
In the singles, point totals are calculated by combining point totals from 16 tournaments (excluding ITF and WTA 125 tournaments). Of these sixteen tournaments, a player's results: from the four Grand Slam events, the four WTA 1000 tournaments with 1,000 points for the winner, and (for the players who played the main draw at least in 2 such tournaments) the best results from two WTA 1000 tournaments with 900 points maximum must be included as well as points from 6 other countable tournaments. In the doubles, point totals are calculated by any combination of eleven tournaments throughout the year, not abiding to the mandatory Grand-Slam or Premier-level tournaments rule like for singles.[17]
Venues
edit| Years | City | Country | Venue | Surface | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1972–73 | Boca Raton | United States | Boca Raton Hotel & Club | Clay | |
| 1974–76 | Los Angeles | United States | Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena | Carpet | 14,800 |
| 1977 | New York City | United States | Madison Square Garden | Carpet | 18,000 |
| 1978 | Oakland | United States | Oakland Arena | Carpet | 13,200 |
| 1979–2000 | New York City | United States | Madison Square Garden | Carpet | 18,000 |
| 2001 | Munich | Germany | Olympiahalle | Hard (i) | 12,000 |
| 2002–05 | Los Angeles | United States | Staples Center | Hard (i) | 17,000 |
| 2006–07 | Madrid | Spain | Madrid Arena | Hard (i) | 10,500 |
| 2008–10 | Doha | Qatar | Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex | Hard | 6,911 |
| 2011–13 | Istanbul | Turkey | Sinan Erdem Dome | Hard (i) | 16,410 |
| 2014–18 | Singapore | Singapore | Singapore Indoor Stadium | Hard (i) | 10,000 |
| 2019 | Shenzhen | China | Shenzhen Bay Sports Center | Hard (i) | 12,000 |
| 2021 | Guadalajara | Mexico | Panamerican Tennis Center | Hard | 6,639 |
| 2022 | Fort Worth | United States | Dickies Arena | Hard (i) | 14,000 |
| 2023 | Cancún | Mexico | Estadio Paradisus | Hard | 4,300 |
| 2024–26 | Riyadh | Saudi Arabia | Hard |
Prize money and points
editThe total prize money for the 2023 WTA Finals is US$9,000,000. The tables below are based on the updated draw sheet information.[18]
| Stage | Prize money | Points | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Singles | Doubles[a] | ||
| Champion | RR[b] + $1,476,000 | RR[b] + $306,000 | RR + 750 |
| Runner-up | RR + $756,000 | RR + $144,000 | RR + 330 |
| Semifinalist | RR + $54,000 | RR + $9,000 | RR |
| Round robin win per match | +$198,000 | +$36,000 | 250 |
| Round robin loss per match | — | — | 125 |
| Participation Fee | $198,000 | $90,000 | — |
| Alternates | $144,000 | $90,000 | — |
- An undefeated champion would earn the maximum 1,500 points, and $3,078,000 in singles or $657,000 in doubles.
Since 2014, the singles and doubles winners of the tournament receive the Billie Jean King Trophy[19][20] and the Martina Navratilova trophy,[21][22] respectively.
List of finals
editSingles
editDoubles
edit- ^ As of 1 March 2022, the WTA announced that players from Belarus will not compete in tournaments under the name or flag of Belarus due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.[23]
- ^ a b As of 1 March 2022, the WTA announced that players from Russia will not compete in tournaments under the name or flag of Russia due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.[23]
List of champions
edit- Current through 2023 WTA Finals (active players in bold).
- ^ a b In 1986 the WTA adopted a January–November playing season, thereby the event switched to being held at the end of each year. Consequently, there were two championships held in 1986. First edition was played in March.[24]
- ^ a b c Second edition was played in November.
- ^ a b As of 1 March 2022, the WTA announced that players from Russia will not compete in tournaments under the name or flag of Russia due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.[23]
Records and statistics
editNote: Active players indicated in bold.
Singles
edit
|
|
|
|
Youngest & oldest champions
edit| Singles[25] | Youngest | 16 years, 11 months | 1990 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oldest | 33 years, 1 month | 2014 | ||
| Doubles | Youngest | 18 years, 5 months | 1999 | |
| Oldest | 39 years, 1 month | 2023 |
- ^ As of 1 March 2022, the WTA announced that players from Russia will not compete in tournaments under the name or flag of Russia due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.[23]
Longest and shortest matches
editSingles
edit| Longest match by time played | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 final, 3 hours and 47 minutes[26][27] | |||||
| 6 | 5 | 3 | 6 | 6 | |
| 4 | 7 | 6 | 4 | 2 | |
|
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Doubles
edit
|
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Year-end championships double & triple
editWinning three or two out of the four Year-ending championships since its inception in 1972: WTA Championships/Finals, Series-Ending Championships, Grand Slam Cup, WTA Tournament of Champions/Elite Trophy indicated in bold.
Double crown
editWinning the Year-end championships in both singles and doubles in the same year.
| No. | Player | Years won |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | 1978, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986(Nov)[a] | |
| 1 | 1997 | |
| 2000 |
Year-end championships triple
edit| No. | Player | WTA Championships/Finals | Grand Slam Cup | WTA Elite Trophy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2008 | 1998 | 2015 |
WTA Championships – Series-Ending Championships Double
edit| No. | Player | WTA Championships/Finals | Series-Ending Championships |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1972 | 1977 | |
| 2 | 1978 | 1979 | |
| 3 | 1980 | 1980 |
WTA Championships – Grand Slam Cup Double
edit| No. | Player | WTA Championships/Finals | Grand Slam Cup |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2001 | 1999 | |
| 2 | 2008 | 1998 |
- ^ she later completed a YEC Triple.
WTA Championships – WTA Elite Trophy Double
edit| No. | Player | WTA Championships/Finals | WTA Elite Trophy |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2008 | 2015 | |
| 2 | 2011 | 2016 | |
| 3 | 2019 | 2018 |
- ^ with the 2015 WTA Elite Trophy she also completed a YEC Triple.
Grand Slam Cup – WTA Elite Trophy Double
edit| No. | Player | Grand Slam Cup | WTA Elite Trophy |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1998 | 2015 |
- ^ with the 2015 WTA Elite Trophy she also completed a YEC Triple.
Titles by country
editSingles
edit20 |
6 |
5 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
Doubles
editNote: Titles, won by a team of players from same country, count as one title, not two.
29 |
7 |
6 |
4 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
Sponsors
editThe event has a more than 40-year history of corporate sponsorship with the finals named after the sponsoring company.[4]
| Years | Sponsor | Name | Refs |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1972–1978 | Virginia Slims | Virginia Slims Championships | |
| 1979–1982 | Avon | Avon Championships | |
| 1983–1994 | Virginia Slims | Virginia Slims Championships | |
| 1995 | None | WTA Tour Championships | |
| 1996–2000 | Chase | Chase Championships | |
| 2001 | Sanex | Sanex Championships | |
| 2002 | The Home Depot | Home Depot Championships | |
| 2003 | Bank of America | Bank of America WTA Tour Championships | |
| 2004 | None | WTA Tour Championships | |
| 2005–2010 | Sony Ericsson | Sony Ericsson Championships | |
| 2011–2013 | BNP Paribas and Türk Ekonomi Bankası | TEB–BNP Paribas WTA Championships Istanbul | |
| 2014–2018 | BNP Paribas and SC Global | BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global | [29] |
| 2019 | Shiseido | Shiseido WTA Finals Shenzhen | [30] |
| 2021 | Akron | Akron WTA Finals Guadalajara | [31] |
| 2022 | Hologic | Hologic WTA Finals Fort Worth | [32] |
| 2023 | GNP Seguros | GNP Seguros WTA Finals Cancun | [33] |
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "WTA Tour 2021 Media Guide" (PDF). WTA Tour. p. 20. Archived (PDF) from the original on 13 February 2021. Retrieved 18 November 2021.
- ^ "Saudi Arabia to host WTA Finals with record prize money for the next three years". Fox News. 4 April 2024.
- ^ "WTA re-launches year-end Championships as WTA Finals" (PDF). www.wtatennis.com. May 27, 2014. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 6, 2014.
- ^ a b "TEB BNP Paribas Istanbul Cup" (PDF). WTA Tour. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 August 2014.
- ^ "2011 Calendar Announced". WTA Tour. 2 July 2010. Retrieved 4 December 2010.
- ^ "WTA narrows 2014 Championships host field to three finalists" (PDF). www.wtatennis.com. WTA. 29 January 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 December 2014.
- ^ "Three cities still in running to host WTA Championships". www.wtatennis.com. WTA.
- ^ "WTA picks Singapore to host its tennis Championships from 2014". BBC News. 8 May 2013.
- ^ a b c "2021 SHISEIDO WTA FINALS SHENZHEN". www.shiseidowtafinalsshenzhen.com. Retrieved 2021-11-11.
- ^ "Shenzhen, China to host WTA Finals starting in 2019". Retrieved 2021-12-02.
- ^ "2021 WTA Finals moved from Shenzhen to Guadalajara". Reuters. 2021-09-13. Retrieved 2021-12-02.
- ^ The New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/28/sports/tennis/wta-finals-location-saudi.html.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ^ https://twitter.com/wta/status/1775855865825722820.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ^ "40 Love History: Five Set Finals". Women's Tennis Association (WTA). 18 October 2013. Archived from the original on 9 August 2016. Retrieved 3 June 2016.
- ^ "It's the Way It's (Almost) Always Been". New York Times. 3 September 2012. Retrieved 26 September 2012.
- ^ "WTA Finals and WTA Elite Trophy rules" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 September 2017.
- ^ "2022 WTA Official Rulebook" (PDF). WTA. Archived (PDF) from the original on 26 October 2022. Retrieved 31 October 2022.
- ^ "WTA Finals 2022: Dates, prize money, format and everything you need to know". Women's Tennis Association. Archived from the original on 2022-10-26.
- ^ "BILLIE JEAN KING NAMED OFFICIAL AMBASSADOR OF WTA FINALS IN SINGAPORE". AFRICAN SPORTS MONTHLY. 30 June 2014. Retrieved 2021-11-08.
- ^ "Makers of Billie Jean King Trophy | WTA Finals | Tennis | Thomas Lyte - Thomas Lyte". www.thomaslyte.com. Retrieved 2021-11-08.
- ^ Merrell, Chloe (7 November 2021). "WTA Tour Finals 2021 preview: everything you need to know". Olympics.com. Retrieved 2021-11-08.
- ^ "Evert, Navratilova to serve as WTA Finals legend ambassadors". Women's Tennis Association. 4 November 2021. Retrieved 2021-11-08.
- ^ a b c d "Joint Statement by the International Governing Bodies of Tennis". ATP. Retrieved 1 March 2022.
- ^ a b "About WTA Finals". Akron WTA Finals Guadalajara. Archived from the original on 2021-11-11.
- ^ "WTA Finals 2021: By the Numbers - Tennis Now". www.tennisnow.com. 9 November 2021. Retrieved 2021-11-11.
- ^ "November 18, 1990: Seles and Sabatini go five". www.tennismajors.com. 18 November 2020. Retrieved 2021-11-12.
- ^ "Return Winners: A look back at the 1990 WTA Finals". www.tennis.com. 29 October 2016. Retrieved 2021-11-12.
- ^ a b "Venus outlasts Ostapenko in marathon Singapore epic". www.wtatennis.com. 24 October 2017. Retrieved 2021-11-11.
- ^ "Tennis-BNP Paribas extends WTA Championship sponsorship". Reuters. Singapore. 11 March 2014.
- ^ "Shiseido signs on as title sponsor of WTA Finals Shenzhen". wtatennis.com. Shenzhen. 23 July 2019.
- ^ "WTA Finals: Making Guadalajara Before the World". smallcapnews.co.uk. Guadalajara. 21 September 2021.
- ^ "Hologic partners with WTA Tour in landmark title sponsorship". wtatennis.com. Fort Worth. 3 March 2022.
- ^ "GNP Seguros WTA Finals Cancun 2023". boletomovil.com. Cancun. 15 October 2023.