Break point for Saudi partnership with Women’s Tennis Association

• Kingdom reassessing sports spending
• Finals relocated to Indian Wells in US
• Partnership reached 30,000 people

Saudi Arabia‘s push to establish itself as a leading destination for global sport has hit another obstacle after the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) Finals relocated to the US, cutting short the kingdom’s hosting agreement by a year.

The climax to the season, which sees the top eight singles players and doubles teams compete for a lucrative prize purse, has been hosted by Riyadh since 2024.

But a joint statement from the WTA and the Saudi Arabia Tennis Federation confirmed that the event would this year switch to the Indian Wells Tennis Garden in California.

“Following two impactful years of the WTA Finals in Riyadh, the WTA requested to move the 2026 WTA Finals to a new host location,” the statement said.

“The Saudi Tennis Federation accepted WTA’s proposal, and the two organisations mutually agreed on the conclusion of the hosting arrangement and remain proud of the achievements realised through their partnership.”

Elena Rybakina earned a record $5.3 million after beating Aryna Sabalenka in the final last year, the biggest payout ever awarded to a female athlete in a single tournament.

The news comes as Saudi Arabia reassesses its sports spending priorities.

The most high-profile switch has been the $1 trillion Public Investment Fund‘s decision no longer to support the expensive breakaway LIV Golf series from the end of the current season.

LIV Golf has cost Saudi Arabia more than $5 billion since its controversial launch in 2021, according to sport business website Money in Sport.

“This was an important, albeit expensive, deal that both advanced the cause of women’s maternity rights in tennis and helped to rehabilitate Saudi Arabia’s global reputation,” said Simon Chadwick, professor of AfroEurasian sport at Emlyon Business School and an AGBI columnist.

“As such, the termination is right up there with the disposal of LIV Golf, which once again signals that economic realities are nowadays trumping political ambitions.”

Further reading:

• Qiddiya targets elite tennis circuits with 30-court centre
• PIF to sponsor women’s world tennis rankings
• LIV Golf reveals top team changes as series seeks new investment

It was revealed in April that PIF had pulled its funding for the Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters after just two of 10 planned events took place.

The partnership between the WTA and the Saudi Arabia Tennis Federation delivered 20 percent year-on-year growth in attendance and reached more than 30,000 people through community programmes, according to the joint statement.

These programmes included workshops for women coaches, training for physical education teachers, tennis clinics for breast cancer survivors, and participation initiatives designed to connect girls and young women and inspire future generations of players and fans.

Saudi Arabia is scheduled to host a new men’s ATP Masters 1000 tournament, due to start in 2028.