For ten years: WTA season finale to move from Singapore to Shenzhen in 2019

The season finale of the world’s best female tennis players will take place in Shenzhen, China, for ten years from 2019. This was announced by the players’ organisation WTA on Thursday.

Over the past five years, the eight best singles players and eight best doubles had met in Singapore to play out the world champions. A stadium for 12,000 spectators will be built in the city centre of the metropolis in southeastern China. The WTA announced it would double the prize money to $14 million. A women’s hard court tournament of the women’s tour has been taking place in Shenzhen since 2013.

The season finale has so far been held in nine cities: Boca Raton (1972 to 1973), Los Angeles (1974 to 1976,2002 to 2005), New York (1977,1979 to 2000), Oakland (1978), Munich (2001), Madrid (2006 to 2007), Doha (2008 to 2010), Istanbul (2011 to 2013) and Singapore (2014 to 2018). Record winner is Martina Navratilova with eight victories.