After Split with Saudi Arabia, the 2026 WTA Finals Will Be Held at Indian Wells

The WTA Finals are coming to Tennis Paradise.

After two years in Saudi Arabia, the WTA has opted out of its three-year deal and shifted the season-ending championships to Southern California for one year. 

It marks the first time the tour’s showcase event will take place in Southern California since a four-year run in Los Angeles ended in 2005.

“Following two impactful years of the WTA Finals in Riyadh, the WTA requested to move the 2026 WTA Finals to a new host location,” the WTA said in an emailed statement. “The Saudi Tennis Federation accepted WTA’s proposal, and the two organizations mutually agreed on the conclusion of the hosting arrangement and remain proud of the achievements realized through their partnership.”

The WTA Finals will be held at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden in Indian Wells, California from November 8-15. 

“We’re honored to partner with the WTA to host the WTA Finals at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden,” said Philippe Dore, Chief Marketing Officer at Indian Wells Tennis Garden. “Welcoming the top women’s players to the home of the BNP Paribas Open for the year-end Finals is a tremendous opportunity to celebrate women’s tennis. We look forward to providing a world-class venue and atmosphere worthy of one of the sport’s premier events.” 

At the moment, long-term plans for a host city for the tour’s marquee event have yet to materialize, but the stop in Indian Wells is rumored to be a one-year stopgap as the tour searches for another long-term deal.

Reportedly, expansive conflicts in the Middle East ultimately played a role in the mutual agreement to cut the term short in Riyadh.

“The saga of the WTA Finals continues,” said Jessica Pegula, when asked to comment on the news at Wimbledon today. “It’s like we can’t catch a break, and I don’t necessarily think it’s our fault. There just tends to be a lot of world conflicts that seem to happen and get in the way.”

The WTA Finals was set for a ten-year run in Shenzhen, but the Covid-19 pandemic played a role in the premature end in China.

Since 2019, after ending a five-year run in Singapore, the WTA Finals have shifted from Mexico to China (where a 10-year deal was abandoned after just one staging) to Mexico again, then Fort Worth, Texas and Saudi Arabia before this year’s shift to California – six different venues in eight years. 

Tickets are now available via pre-sale to select groups and will be on sale to the general public on Thursday, July 2 at wtafinals.com.