‘Phenomenal’ – Frontrunner for 2026 WTA Finals emerges as Saudi Arabia exit looms
Indian Wells is reportedly the frontrunner to host this year’s WTA Finals, a move branded as “absolutely phenomenal”.
That is according to former world No 18 Alison Riske-Amritraj, who welcomed talk of moving the WTA Finals out of Saudi Arabia.
The WTA announced that Riyadh would host the season-ending tournament from 2024 to 2026, a decision that sparked criticism due to the country’s ongoing human rights and women’s policies.
Shenzhen was scheduled to host the event from 2019 to 2028, but in 2021, the WTA Finals were moved to Guadalajara, Mexico, due to the coronavirus pandemic, and the competition has not returned to China since.
The WTA suspended its end-of-year event in China off the back of concerns about former player Peng Shuai’s safety. And in recent years, the WTA Finals has bounced around the globe, with some editions struggling with ticket sales, poor courts, and more.
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All that could change if the first Masters 1000 event of the year gets to welcome the WTA Tour‘s top eight players late in 2026. If that does come to pass, Riske-Amritraj is all for it.
She said on Tennis Channel, “I think it would be absolutely phenomenal and obviously the players would love it.
“Everyone loves Indian Wells. It’s tough to get people to come to the event whenever there is such short notice, and I know in Fort Worth, when they had it there as well. There was no one in the stands.
“They had announced it like a month and a half prior, and so that’s so big, and I hope that they do it sooner rather than later to let everyone know where, so everyone can buy tickets and go and support these ladies.
“But I also have to say I do love seeing it moving out of Saudi Arabia. I think it’s a better look for tennis and women and sport, and I’m very happy to see that the United States is winning that bid, and hopefully that is the case.”
In late 2023, the WTA conceded that Cancun, Mexico, was “not a perfect event”, with Aryna Sabalenka criticising the court conditions.
The year before in Forth Worth, Texas, Iga Swiatek was not best pleased at the low attendances and in Saudi Arabia, women’s tennis was accused of being a sportswashing tool for the Gulf state.
If Indian Wells does became the WTA Finals’ next home, many will hope this will bring some much-needed stability in the women’s game. The Saudi contract ends this year but it seems that deal may not be completed.
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