WTA Launches “Road to Singapore”, Season-Long Journey to WTA Championships

Written by: Staff on 4th January 2014

Serena Williams kicks off the “Road to Singapore” with the WTA Championships Billie Jean King Trophy at the Brisbane International presented by Suncorp (credit Getty Images)

during day one of the 2014 Brisbane International at Queensland Tennis Centre on December 29, 2013 in Brisbane, Australia. |

ST. PETERSBURG, FL – The Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) launched today the “Road To Singapore”, a season-long campaign which will see the WTA stars through their journey from the beginning of the year to its culmination during the season-ending WTA Championships in Singapore. For the first time in the 44-year history of the WTA Championships, a city in Asia-Pacific will host the prestigious year-end event, which will take place during October 17-26, 2014, and through 2018.

Stacey Allaster, WTA Chairman & CEO commented: “The entire WTA organization is excited about the debut of the “Road to Singapore” with today’s launch. The fans of women’s tennis are the lifeblood of our organization and we look forward to hosting the best WTA Championships fan experience in our history and providing extraordinary access for our fans across all platforms, creating a closer bond with the WTA stars.”

Serena Williams kicks off the “Road to Singapore” with the WTA Championships Billie Jean King Trophy at the Brisbane International presented by Suncorp (credit Getty Images)

“I am starting my 2014 season today, but I’ve already made qualifying for the WTA Championships one of my biggest goals,” said Serena Williams, WTA World No.1 and four-time WTA Championships winner. “I am really excited about the WTA Championships being held in Singapore for the first time as it’s an amazing city that I’d like to visit. Women’s tennis is definitely growing and becoming more and more global each year.”

WTA’s strategic priority of growing the women’s tennis brand and tournament footprint in Asia started in 2008 with the opening of its first office in Beijing and upgrading the China Open to a Premier Mandatory event. With the addition of Singapore as the Championships host city, 17 events will be staged in the Asia-Pacific market in 2014. Since 2008, attendance, broadcast and digital exposure have set new records in the region which has expanded the WTA’s fan base.

The WTA Championships will be staged within the state-of-the-art $1.3 billion Singapore Sports Hub and will be transformed into an international sport entertainment spectacle, significantly upgrading the fan experience with the introduction of new events, including exhibitions between WTA’s Rising Stars and Legends, daily fan festivals, business conference, industry forums, music events and a VIP Experience that will provide the most inspirational and exciting WTA Championships experience in the history of the WTA.

Left: Li Na kicks off the “Road to Singapore” at the Shenzhen Open (credit Shenzhen Open)

Right: Ana Ivanovic at the ASB Classic in Auckland (credit Photosport.co.nz)

The fans of women’s tennis will have the opportunity to get closer to their favorite stars and the Championships via a season-long “Road To Singapore” journey. Throughout 2014, fans can be fully engaged with the Championships and WTA Stars’ journeys to Singapore by visiting the newly launched Championships website www.wtachampionships.com and becoming “A Road To Singapore Insider”. Through the dedicated platforms, newly launched for the “Road to Singapore” adventure, fans will enjoy an unparalleled access to their favorite players’ season-long journey, including enhanced editorial coverage across all platforms.

To further support the investment in Southeast Asia, the WTA is opening an office in Singapore and has appointed Ryan Sandilands as the regional CEO of Asia-Pacific. Sandilands and his team will be responsible for driving WTA’s growth strategy throughout Asia-Pacific, including business development, operations, government relations, media distribution; and executing a commercial strategy to drive revenues across all markets in the region.

The WTA will host an official launch of the WTA Championships and “Road to Singapore” in market on January 27, 2014 during which WTA Chairman & CEO Stacey Allaster, in addition to a WTA Star and Legend, will officially kick off the Championships for local fans and commercial partners. The details of the Championships events programming and fan experience will also be revealed at that time. The WTA is working closely with the World Sports Group, the Singapore Tourism Board and the Singapore Sports Council on delivering the best Championships in the WTA history.

The WTA Championships was the most-watched WTA event of 2013, setting record broadcast and digital audience milestones with coverage in 170 countries via 50 broadcasters and 1,000 overall hours produced, which includes live matches, match replays, and player highlights. The 2013 WTA Championships set new records for fan engagement earning 15 million more fans across social media during the three years in Istanbul, with more than 150 million reached via #WTAChamps.

Singapore will become the ninth different city to host the WTA Championships following Boca Raton (1972-1973), Los Angeles (1974-1976, 2002-2005), Oakland (1978), New York City (1977, 1979-2000), Munich (2001), Madrid (2006-2007), Doha (2008-2010) and Istanbul (2011-2013).

Topics: 10sballs, Ana Ivanovic, Auckland, Brisbane, Li Na, Serena Williams, Shenzhen, Singapore, Sports, Tennis, Tennis News, Wta