WTA Tour Faces Financial Crisis as Saudi Arabia Withdraws Funding from Professional Tennis

The WTA Finals will leave Riyadh after 2026 as Saudi Arabia pulls back sports investment. Read about the financial and ethical impact on women's tennis.

By: AXL Media

Published: May 2, 2026, 3:40 AM EDT

Source: Information for this report was sourced from Tennis365

The End of the Saudi Partnership

The professional tennis landscape has been sent into a state of flux following the news that Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) is scaling back its multi-billion dollar "sportswashing" initiatives. While the WTA Finals will be held in Riyadh this year, officials have confirmed the event will not return to the kingdom beyond 2026. This sudden pivot marks a dramatic shift for the WTA, which had previously defended its partnership with the Gulf nation despite intense criticism from human rights advocates and tennis icons Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert. Reports suggest the tour is now exploring a return to the United States for the 2027 season as it seeks a more stable long-term host.

Human Rights Debates and Ethical Backlash

The initial decision to move the marquee season-ending event to Saudi Arabia was met with a firestorm of opposition, specifically regarding the nation’s record on women’s and LGBTQ+ rights. In a 2024 op-ed, Navratilova and Evert argued that the tour’s presence in a country where women are subject to male guardianship laws and the LGBTQ+ community faces extreme criminalization was a betrayal of the sport's foundational values. With PIF now withdrawing its support, the ethical debate has shifted toward the financial consequences of relying on volatile sovereign wealth. The WTA now faces the difficult task of finding new sponsors willing to match the massive capital previously injected by Saudi backers.

A History of Hosting Instability

This latest development adds to a decade of logistical challenges for the WTA Finals. After losing its lucrative long-term deal with Chinese backers during the COVID-19 pandemic, the tour struggled to find a consistent home, moving the event through various temporary locations before settling on Riyadh. The loss of Saudi funding threatens the tour’s ability to offer parity in prize money with the men’s game—a goal that was bolstered by the Riyadh deal. Furthermore, doubts are mounting over whether PIF will continue its broader sponsorship of the ATP and WTA ranking lists, which could further strain the financial resources of both governing bodies.