Jessica Pegula and Madison Keys have given the initial reaction to the rumors about the WTA Finals relocating.
The WTA Finals take place at the end of every tennis season, featuring the top eight singles players and doubles teams from the year, and have been held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, since 2024.
It was a controversial decision to move to Riyadh, where the crowd numbers were often low for the WTA Finals.
Both Pegula and Keys claimed the fan support was better in Riyadh last year, and they have now reacted as the tournament looks set to move away from Saudi Arabia.
Madison Keys supports idea of the WTA Finals moving to Charlotte
It has been reported that the WTA Finals are leaving Riyadh after this year’s tournament, with there now being rumors about where it could be relocating to.
Charlotte, North Carolina, is heavily rumored to be the leading contender to replace Riyadh, and now both Pegula and Keys have given their reaction.
Where should the WTA Finals move to if they leave Saudi Arabia?
Charlotte, USA, is rumored to be a potential replacement…
Pegula admitted that she had already been aware that the WTA Finals were likely to be moving away from Riyadh, but she did not appear to be aware of where it could be relocating to.
“I obviously kind of knew the three years is going to be up…I’ve been a little informed, but not too much because I don’t think they have any idea where it’s going to be yet,” Pegula told media ahead of the Charleston Open.
Keys played Venus Williams in an exhibition match in Charlotte last year, and she appears to be excited by the prospect of the year-end tournament moving there.
“I think it would be a great city to host just because you already have so many fans built in, and I think the city would just be so excited to be able to come out and support WTA,” said Keys.
The WTA Finals will still remain in Riyadh for 2026, with Pegula currently in a strong position to qualify as she sits in third in the race, while Keys is down in 27th.
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Every host of the WTA Finals since it began in 1972
The USA is no stranger to hosting the WTA Finals, with the tournament held exclusively in the States for the first 28 years of the event.
This includes its longest stint in one location, with Madison Square Gardens hosting the WTA Finals for 22 years straight until 2000, including the last best-of-five sets match for women.
Since then, the WTA Finals have been held in Germany, Spain, Qatar, Türkiye, Singapore, China, Mexico and Saudi Arabia.
| Year/s | Host Location |
| 1972-1973 | Boca Raton, USA |
| 1974-1976 | Los Angeles, USA |
| 1977 | New York City, USA |
| 1978 | Oakland, USA |
| 1979-2000 | New York City, USA |
| 2001 | Munich, Germany |
| 2002-2005 | Los Angeles, USA |
| 2006-2007 | Madrid, Spain |
| 2008-2010 | Doha, Qatar |
| 2011-2013 | Istanbul, Türkiye |
| 2014-2018 | Singapore |
| 2019 | Shenzhen, China |
| 2021 | Guadalajara, Mexico |
| 2022 | Fort Worth, USA |
| 2023 | Cancun, Mexico |
| 2024-2026 | Riyadh, Saudi Arabia |
However, the WTA Finals have not been based on one location for more than three years since Singapore held it between 2014 and 2018.
The 2026 WTA Finals are looking likely to be the final time it is held in Riyadh, with the event taking place between November 7-14.
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