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WTA Finals will bring the world’s top players to Spectrum Center for three years
U.S. tennis star Coco Gauff and other top women’s players are expected in Charlotte for a major tournament at Charlotte’s Spectrum Center. (Photo: Shutterstock)
by Tony Mecia
Some of the top women’s tennis players in the world are expected to come to Charlotte starting in 2027, as the Women’s Tennis Association on Wednesday announced a three-year commitment for a major tennis tournament at the Spectrum Center.
The association also said it plans to move its headquarters to Charlotte, which is probably small in the number of jobs shifting here but that adds to the city’s clout as a home for sports leagues and governing bodies.
“This is a transformational moment for Charlotte and for our organization," said Will Pitts, CEO of the Charlotte Sports Foundation, in a statement. “Bringing the WTA Finals to our city is a testament to what Charlotte has become as a world-class sports destination, and we are incredibly grateful to the WTA for their trust and partnership in making this vision a reality.”
Gov. Josh Stein said in a press release that landing the tournament was aided by a $14.4M state grant.
Headquartered in St. Petersburg, Fla., the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) is the governing body for women’s professional tennis. It oversees the global tour in which the world’s top female players compete.
The news was first reported earlier Wednesday by the Sports Business Journal.
The WTA Finals are the championship of women’s professional tennis and consist of the world’s top eight singles players and doubles teams. The matches are prestigious and are one of the sport’s biggest events, trailing only the four Grand Slam tournaments: the Australian Open, French Open, U.S. Open and Wimbledon.
Charlotte has previously held exhibition matches with some of the world’s top players, and in 2023, the city came close to landing the Western & Southern Open, a major tournament that would have taken place at a proposed new facility in the River District in west Charlotte. But plans for that complex evaporated when the tournament chose to stay in the Cincinnati area.
The headquarters move also adds to Charlotte’s roster of sports organizations. The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) moved here in 2023, and the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) moved here in 2015. The United States Performance Center also works closely with Olympic athletes and sports governing bodies.
Stein is expected at the Spectrum Center this afternoon to mark the news.