The WTA Finals are moving to Charlotte, North Carolina, starting in 2027, with the tour’s headquarters also relocating from St. Petersburg, Florida, the organization announced Wednesday.
The year-end championship will be held at Spectrum Center, home of the NBA’s Hornets, from 2027 to 2029. The arena seats approximately 19,000 and has hosted tennis exhibitions the past two seasons. The event will run five days rather than the current eight, adjusted to accommodate the Hornets’ schedule.
The financial context
WTA chairperson Valerie Camillo acknowledged the tour’s difficult financial position on a call with reporters Tuesday, saying 2026 is a year of transition that includes belt-tightening and the unexpected cost of moving the Finals from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to Indian Wells, California, for 2026 despite one year remaining on the original agreement.
The Telegraph reported last week that the WTA is on track to record $23 million in operational losses this season and would have only $15 million on hand by year-end.
Camillo said the Charlotte deal came together in less than six months and differs structurally from past Finals arrangements. Rather than using a licensing fee model with outside promoters, the WTA will have operational control over the event, including revenues, expenses and delivery.
She said the organization is not doing everything itself but is taking control of its own destiny through the structure of this agreement. She said a clear path to consistent and sustainable financial performance exists for 2027 and beyond, supported by revenue and audience growth.
Why Charlotte
Camillo described the vision for the WTA Finals as the Super Bowl of women’s sports, including a fan festival near the arena and an annual gathering for women’s tennis, women’s sports and women’s sports business. She said that ambition was part of the rationale for moving the WTA’s headquarters there, because building something at that scale requires a significant local talent base.
Charlotte Sports Foundation CEO Will Pitts said the deal also gives the city a path to hosting a 500-level WTA tournament in the future, which would require building a first-class dedicated facility. He said there is significant work ahead but that the city is committed to moving forward.
The Saudi departure
The agreement to hold the Finals in Saudi Arabia had been controversial before it was even formally announced, given the country’s human rights record. The WTA and Saudi Tennis Federation said earlier this summer that they mutually agreed to conclude the hosting arrangement. Moving the 2026 event to Indian Wells came with costs the tour absorbed while simultaneously negotiating the long-term Charlotte deal.
What comes next
The 2026 WTA Finals remain scheduled for Nov. 8-15 at Indian Wells, featuring the top eight singles players and doubles teams. Camillo said many details of the Charlotte deal are still being finalized, including a timeline for the headquarters relocation and the specific location within Charlotte. She said players would be consulted before anything is made final.
The Finals had spent recent years moving between locations without a stable home, and the three-year Charlotte commitment at a fixed venue with operational control represents the most structural stability the event has had in some time.
