Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, will host the season finale from 2-9 November, featuring eight singles players and doubles teams. "Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, will host the next three editions of the WTA Finals from 2024-2026," the WTA announced on X.

It also follows criticism from legends Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova, who slammed the prospect of holding the WTA Finals in Saudi Arabia in a Washington Post opinion piece. "We did not help build women's tennis to be exploited by Saudi Arabia. The values of the WTA are in stark contrast to those of the proposed host," read the headline of their joint column expressing their dissatisfaction with WTA officials.

Princess Reema bint Bandar al-Saud, the Saudi ambassador to Washington, criticised Evert and Navratilova for perpetuating "outdated stereotypes," while Tunisian player Ons Jabeur urged critics to have a "better understand" of the situation.

"The WTA Finals has the power to inspire far beyond the sport, especially for our young girls and women," Saudi Sports Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Faisal said in comments sent to AFP. "This shouldn't come as a surprise, as the transformation we have often talked about is driven by our desire to encourage the growth of both men's and women's sports with equal access and equal opportunity," he added.

The long-awaited deal comes shortly after Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund, the Public Investment Fund, announced a "strategic partnership" with the Association of Tennis Professionals, the governing body of men's tennis.

Formula One, heavyweight boxing, the LIV Golf Tour, a majority stake in Newcastle United, horse racing and some of the world's top football stars such as Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema are among the desert nation's acquisitions. Later this year, the country is expected to be officially named as the host of the 2034 World Cup.