WTA Finals in Saudi Arabia under scrutiny as long-term viability is considered

The GIST: The WTA Finals are well underway in Riyadh as Saudi Arabia serves as a first-time host. The tournament competition is heating up, but so is the controversy around holding it in the country, leaving questions about whether the move was truly worth it for the WTA and its partners.

The background: Following a logistically disastrous WTA Finals in Mexico last year, the WTA finalized its rumored multiyear deal to host the tournament in Saudi Arabia in April. Thanks to Saudi backing, the Finals are offering a record $15.25M tournament prize this year, up from $9M in 2023.

• The decision came with a financial windfall the WTA needed to level up its tourney offerings, but has also seen poor attendance and significant backlash — a talking point that world No. 3 Coco Gauff and WTA CEO Portia Archer have been pressed to address this week.

The context: Recent women’s sports investments have rapidly uplifted soccer and wrestling in Saudi Arabia, but money hasn’t opened every door. Soccer governing body FIFA planned to make Visit Saudi a major sponsor of its 2023 Women’s World Cup before public resistance nixed the partnership, though it did push through a Saudi Aramco sponsorship last month amid dissent.

• Political issues in places like Russia and China have been enough to affect WTA deals in the past. In 2018, the WTA signed a ten-year contract worth nearly $1B to host the WTA Finals in Shenzhen, China, but only got through one iteration before suspending all tournaments in the country in 2021.

The balancing act: As Shenzhen proved, partnering with a scrutinized host nation can have business consequences if the deal falls apart. Saudi Arabia’s sports investment doesn’t seem to be going anywhere and WTA executives and brand partners seem to be holding steady, but history has proven enough controversy can prompt an early exit from a Finals deal. Watch this space.