WTA Chief seeks to extend Tour Finals deal in Saudi Arabia as Next Gen ATP event departs early
The WTA CEO wants to extend the women's Tour Finals deal in Riyadh, even as the men's Next Gen ATP Finals cuts its five-year contract in Jeddah short by two years.
November 8, 2025 - 11:42 AM ET • 2 min read
The chief executive of the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) has expressed a desire to extend the organization's contract to host its signature season-ending event, the WTA Tour Finals, in Saudi Arabia, even as a major men's tennis event prepares to exit the country two years early.
WTA Tour chief executive Portia Archer said during an interview in Riyadh on Saturday that she would like the organization to keep the WTA Tour Finals in Saudi Arabia beyond the current three-year agreement.
"We signed on for a three-year term, we'd actually enjoy being here for even longer than we have been, or than we are agreed to be here," Archer said.
Archer cited several factors supporting the potential extension, including the financial commitments made by Saudi Arabia, the high-quality facilities provided, and what she described as the growing interest in women's tennis within the kingdom and the wider Arab world. She also noted the apparent positive impact the event and associated WTA programs have had on grassroots tennis development. Archer characterized the event as an "elite, high-level, professional tennis event and professional sporting event."
The WTA's enthusiasm for extending its presence contrasts sharply with the recent decision regarding the Next Gen ATP Finals, the men's competition for the best players under the age of 20. The Next Gen ATP Finals will leave its current venue in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, two years ahead of schedule.
The Saudi Tennis Federation (STF) decided to exercise an opt-out clause after three years of the original five-year deal, according to a source briefed on the discussions. The third and now final event scheduled for Jeddah will still take place this December.
Following the STF's decision, the ATP issued a news release confirming that it had launched a bidding process to determine the next host city for the Next Gen ATP Finals, starting from 2026.