The WTA has officially announced a new home for its season-ending championship, with the 2026 WTA Tour Finals set to be held at the iconic Indian Wells Tennis Garden in Indian Wells, California.
The move comes after two editions in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and places the prestigious tournament at one of tennis' most celebrated venues, which also hosts the ATP and WTA 1000 BNP Paribas Open each March—an event widely known as the sport's "fifth Slam."
Key highlights
- The 2026 WTA Tour Finals will be held at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden in California.
- The WTA confirmed the move after its agreement with the Saudi Tennis Federation concludes following the 2025 edition.
- The event returns to a venue that offers world-class facilities, strong fan support and a favorable timezone for major television audiences.
- The WTA is continuing its search for a long-term host for the Tour Finals beyond 2026.
WTA confirms move to Indian Wells
The women's tour confirmed the relocation in a statement on Wednesday, several months after news emerged that its agreement with the Saudi Tennis Federation (STF) to stage the event would end following this year's tournament.
The previous arrangement was scheduled to conclude after the third edition of the WTA Tour Finals in Riyadh, which is set to take place this November.
According to two people briefed on Saudi Arabia's sports ministry operations, the tournament had outlived its usefulness to the country's broader tennis ambitions. However, in November of the previous year, then-WTA Tour chief executive Portia Archer had expressed hope that the event would remain in Riyadh beyond the original three-year agreement.
The WTA also did not want to stage the event in Riyadh amid the regional conflict that followed the American-Israeli decision to attack Iran in late February, which has since escalated into war.
Indian Wells offers a world-class stage
In a joint statement, the WTA and the Saudi Tennis Federation said the WTA requested the move.
Hosting the Tour Finals in Indian Wells places the season-ending championship in a favorable timezone for the WTA's largest television audiences in North America and Europe. It also returns the event to a venue already familiar to tennis fans who visit the California desert each March for the BNP Paribas Open.
"The Indian Wells Tennis Garden provides an exceptional stage for the WTA Finals," WTA chair Valerie Camillo said.
"From its world-class facilities and passionate fan base to its proven ability to deliver premier tennis events, the venue offers everything needed to showcase the very best of women's tennis. We are excited to bring the WTA Finals to Southern California and continue building one of the premier championships in global sport."
Saudi partnership comes to an end
The relocation also concludes the WTA's partnership with the Saudi Tennis Federation and the Saudi Sports Ministry. Financially, the agreement significantly increased prize money. The purse reached $15.25 million in 2024, representing a 66% increase ($6.25 million) from 2023 and matching the ATP Tour Finals prize pool that year.
In 2025, the Saudi Tennis Federation funded the largest winner's cheque in women's sports history, with WTA Tour Finals champion Elena Rybakina receiving $5.3 million. The partnership, however, also attracted criticism due to Saudi Arabia's history of restrictive laws affecting women and its widely criticized human rights record.
Despite the Tour Finals moving elsewhere, the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund (PIF) will continue sponsoring the WTA Tour rankings while also funding the maternity and egg-freezing program for women's players.
As part of the original agreement, Saudi Arabia had committed to using the event to promote sports participation among women and girls while increasing the visibility of the WTA in a country that had virtually no tennis footprint before 2024.
Familiar destination for players and fans
Moving the Tour Finals to Indian Wells is expected to address several concerns across women's tennis. During the tournament's time in Riyadh, players often competed in largely empty stadiums despite the event featuring only the season's top eight singles players and top eight doubles teams.
Indian Wells, by contrast, is one of the sport's most established destinations and is expected to provide a markedly different atmosphere for the WTA's biggest event. While the 2026 edition has found its home in Southern California, the WTA continues to search for a longer-term agreement to host the Tour Finals beyond next season.
