Ahead of its last year in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, the WTA Finals is on the lookout for a new location.
Charlotte in the United States and Gdansk in Poland have emerged as possible host cities for the year-end tournament going forward.
Comprising eight singles players and eight doubles teams, the WTA Finals brings the WTA season to a close in November.
The tournament has been held in Riyadh since 2024, but is heading for its final run in Saudi Arabia later this year.
Amid the relocation discussions, world number five Jessica Pegula believes there is a problem with the tournament that requires addressing.
Where should the WTA Finals move to if they leave Saudi Arabia?
Charlotte, USA, is rumored to be a potential replacement…
Jessica Pegula thinks the WTA Finals has room for improvement
As per Christian’s Court on X, American ace Pegula said: “I feel like still it needs to grow into an event that kind of showcases the pinnacle of our sport.
“Obviously we have all the Slams and stuff like that, which are amazing, but I do feel like in regards to… like the ATP Finals seems a little bit bigger.
“And I feel like the WTA Finals still has a little bit ways to go.
“I mean it is… it’s really tough, you’re playing against the best players of that year and to win that is a really big deal.
“But I feel like still marketing-wise maybe gets a little lost sometimes.
“And I know obviously we have a very long year, it’s hard to keep up.
“And I think sometimes at the end of the year people maybe check out a little bit as fans or something like that.
“But I think it’s really important and so I hope we can continue to grow that.
“I always use the golf as an example, the FedEx [Cup] is a huge deal.
“So I would love to see it just continue to grow into something like that, especially regarding our top female athletes in the world.”
Incidentally, Pegula supports the WTA Finals moving to Charlotte, which just played host to a WTA 500 tournament that the American won.
Jessica Pegula in contention for WTA Finals spot
It certainly will be intriguing to see where the WTA Finals end up after Riyadh, with the WTA having a big decision to make in that regard.
Also very intriguing is the current Race to the WTA Finals, in which Pegula is very much involved.
The American is currently in third place, behind only Aryna Sabalenka in first and Elena Rybakina in second.
| Rank | Player | Points |
| 1 | Aryna Sabalenka | 3,800 |
| 2 | Elena Rybakina | 3,483 |
| 3 | Jessica Pegula | 2,905 |
| 4 | Elina Svitolina | 2,255 |
| 5 | Karolina Muchova | 1,945 |
| 6 | Victoria Mboko | 1,927 |
| 7 | Coco Gauff | 1,695 |
| 8 | Mirra Andreeva | 1,368 |
That pairing played out last year’s final at the WTA Finals, which Rybakina won 6-3, 7-6(7-0).
Elina Svitolina and Karolina Muchova complete this year’s Race to the WTA Finals top five, and are followed by Victoria Mboko, Coco Gauff and Mirra Andreeva.
It is, of course, very early in proceedings, but a handful of high-profile players are currently outside the top eight, including Iga Swiatek and Amanda Anisimova.
Rising star Iva Jovic finds herself in 11th place, while her fellow WTA youngster Alexandra Eala is in 19th.
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