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.
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
History
The 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
From 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
To qualify for the WTA Finals, players compete throughout the year in WTA events throughout the world, as well as the ITF-sanctioned events, such as the four Grand Slams. Players earn ranking points on the leaderboard, and the top seven singles players and top seven doubles teams on this leaderboard at the conclusion of the WTA season (as of the Monday following the final regular season tournament) earn the right to compete in the WTA Finals. The eighth spot in the WTA Finals is awarded to the highest-ranking Grand Slam winner (and highest-ranking Grand Slam winning team for doubles) ranked 8-20 in the standings. If no player (and/or doubles team) meets this criterion, then the 8th ranked player (and/or doubles team) in the standings qualifies.[16]
In singles, point totals are calculated by combining points from up to 18 tournaments. Of these tournaments, a player's point total is calculated based on the following: the four Grand Slam events, best six results of the seven combined WTA 1000 tournaments, best result of the three non-combined WTA 1000 tournaments, and lastly the next best seven results from all non-125 WTA tournaments. In doubles, point totals are calculated by the 12 best results among any of the non-125 WTA tournaments and Grand Slams.[17]
The total prize money for the 2024 WTA Finals is US$15,250,000, an increase of 69.44% compared to the 2023 edition.[18] The tables below break down the prize money, participation fees are prorated on a per match basis.
^ abRR means prize money or points won in the round-robin round.
An undefeated champion would earn the maximum 1,500 points and $3,885,000 in singles or $870,000 in doubles.
Participation fees are prorated on a per match basis. Singles: 1 match = $225,000 2 matches = $275,000 and 3 matches = $335,000. Doubles: 1 match = $94,000 2 matches = $116,000 and 3 matches = $140,000.
Alternate fees are also prorated on a per-match basis. Singles: 0 matches = $140,000, 1 match = $200,000, 2 matches = $250,000. Doubles: 0 matches= $60,000, 1 match = $84,000, 2 matches= $106,000
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
Singles
‡ From 1984 to 1998, the final match in singles was held in a best-of-five-sets format.[9]
^On 1 March 2022, the WTA announced that players from Belarus will not be allowed to compete under the name or flag of Belarus following the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. Aryna Sabalenka thus competed as neutral player since then.[23]
^ abOn 1 March 2022, the WTA announced that players from Russia will not be allowed to compete under the name or flag of Russia following the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. Veronika Kudermetova and Vera Zvonareva thus competed as neutral players since then and their first and only titles are not attributed to Russia in the "Titles by country" list.[24]
^ abIn 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.[26]
^ abOn 1 March 2022, the WTA announced that players from Russia will not be allowed to compete under the name or flag of Russia following the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. Veronika Kudermetova and Vera Zvonareva thus competed as neutral players since then and their first and only titles are not attributed to Russia in the "Titles by country" list.[25]
^On 1 March 2022, the WTA announced that players from Russia will not be allowed to compete under the name or flag of Russia following the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. Veronika Kudermetova and Vera Zvonareva thus competed as neutral players since then and their first and only titles are not attributed to Russia in the "Titles by country" list.[28]
Winning 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
Winning the Year-end championships in both singles and doubles in the same year.
^In 1986 the event was held twice because of a change of schedule by the WTA. First edition was played in March, the second in November. Navratilova would go on to win the second edition in both singles and doubles that year.[26]
^On 1 March 2022, the WTA announced that players from Russia will not be allowed to compete under the name or flag of Russia following the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. Veronika Kudermetova and Vera Zvonareva thus competed as neutral players since then and their first and only titles are not attributed to Russia in the "Titles by country" list.[32]
Sponsors
The event has a more than 40-year history of corporate sponsorship with the finals named after the sponsoring company.[4]
