WTA Finals Find New Longterm Home In Charlotte Beginning In ’27

By Barry Janoff

September 16, 2026: Calling It an “opportunity to build a Super Bowl of women’s sports,” the WTA Tour Driven by Mercedes-Benz said its year-end WTA Finals would be played in Charlotte, NC, beginning in 2027 and running though 2030.

The WTA said it also intends to relocate its global headquarters to Charlotte from St. Petersburg, Fla.

Plans for a WTA 500-level tournament in Charlotte are also part of the strategy.

Financial terms of the plan were not shared.

“The WTA Finals represents everything that makes women’s tennis extraordinary: the world’s best athletes, competing at the highest level, on a stage worthy of what they have accomplished,” Valerie Camillo, WTA chair, said via the organization.

“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.

The WTA Finals will be held in the Spectrum Center, home of the NBA's Hornets, with a capacity of approximately 19,000.

The arena has hosted a tennis exhibition event the past two seasons.

This past July, the WTA said its 2026 year-end tournament would be moving from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia — despite one year remaining on its initial agreement — to Indian Wells, Calif.

It is scheduled for Nov. 8-15 in the same venue that hosts the 1000-level ATP-WTA BNP Paribas Open in March.

As part of the WTA Finals beginning in 2027, the WTA said it would create a days-long fan fest and hold conferences focusing on women’s sports.

The intention is to make the WTA Finals "the Super Bowl of women's sports (to become an) annual gathering for women's tennis, women's sports and women's sports business,” Camillo said during a media conference call.

"If you're looking to build the Super Bowl, you're going to have to have a significant talent base there to help bring it to life. In Charlotte, we found more than a host city. We found partners who share that ambition and a place where we can build a true home for the Finals and for the WTA.”

The Charlotte Sports Foundation has served as the WTA’s lead local partner throughout the process, “working alongside state and local leaders and the region’s business community to develop the long-term partnership.”

The WTA said the multi-year partnership would give it  “greater opportunity to shape the experience and identity of one of its most important assets, deepen relationships with fans and commercial partners, and build a championship platform designed to grow alongside women’s sport.”

"This is a transformational moment for Charlotte and for our organization," Will Pitts, CEO of the Charlotte Sports Foundation, said via the organization. “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. I also want to recognize our Board of Directors, whose leadership and belief in what this organization can accomplish made a deal of this magnitude possible."

Elena Rybakina defeated Aryna Sabalenka in the 2025 championship match and earned $5.23 million. The WTA said that was the largest payout in the history of women’s sports.

Sabalenka earned $2.7 million as runner-up.

Charlotte will mark the eighth different venue for the WTA Finals since 2018.

After five seasons in Singapore — 2014-18 — the WTA signed a ten-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.

“Bringing the WTA Finals to our city is a testament to what Charlotte has become as a world-class sports destination."

It was then moved in 2021 to Guadalajara, Mexico “due to pandemic-related travel restrictions.”

The WTA again relocated the event in 2022, to Fort Worth, Texas, with the tennis organizations cancelling several events in  China due to concerns tennis player Peng Shuai, who disappeared from public view after accusing a Chinese government official of sexual assault. 

In 2023, the WTA Finals were staged Cancun, Mexico. The WTA then unveiled the three-year deal with Saudi Arabia in April 2024.

By comparison, the Nitto ATP Finals have had much more stability.

This past July,  calling it “an event that has gone from strength to strength,” the ATP and FITP (Italian Tennis and Padel Federation) said the Nitto ATP Finals would be held in Turin through 2027.

First held in Turin in 2021, the sixth ATP Finals there is scheduled for Nov. 15-22, 2026, in Inalpi Arena.

ATP also said the Nitto ATP Finals will take place in Italy through 2030, with Nitto confirmed as title partner throughout this period term. Host venue arrangements beyond 2027 “continue to be evaluated, with further updates to be provided in due course.”


New Match: WTA 2026 Finals Moving From Saudi Arabia To Indian Wells CA

ATP Extends Year-End Nitto Finals In Turin Thru ’27, Italy Thru ’30

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