WTA Makes It Official; We Are Going to Singapore

Written by: Bob Larson Tennis on 28th January 2014

WTA Makes It Official; We Are Going to Singapore

epa04040785 Li Na of China reacts during her women's final match against Dominika Cibulkova of Slovakia at the Australian Open Grand Slam tennis tournament in Melbourne, Australia, 25 January 2014. EPA/NARENDRA SHRESTHA |

With Li Na crowned the Australian Open champion, underlining the importance of Asia in women’s tennis, the WTA have chosen to make a formal announcement that the year ending Tour Championships, a moveable competition that has just spent three years in Istanbul, will be moving to Singapore later this year.

The WTA has long seen Asia as the most lucrative expansion market in the global game and last year held 10 events in China alone. The news was out about the move to Singapore last October during the closing days of the Istanbul event but WTA Chairman and CEO Stacey Allaster thought it was timely to underline the announcement.

Allaster insisted her marketing team were spending ‘300% more on Singapore than any Championships in the past’ and reiterated the importance of the move to Asia. “We’re ultimately in the entertainment business and trying to broaden our reach,” she said. “We know that it’s a great way for us to expand our fan base.”

She also revealed plans to make the whole Championships are more exciting experience for the paying customers, using the Super Bowl as a kind of template and involving top level musical talent to add more gloss to the occasion.

“The music act of the Super Bowl half-time show has become the cornerstone of the game,” Allaster said. “By providing a cool, happening must-attend event with all these other experiences, I know that’s the way to help us drive growth.”

The WTA Championships will be held from October 17 thru 26 at the Singapore Sports Hub’s 7,500-seat indoor stadium. Prize money will be increased by $500,000 to $6.5 million, staying in line with the men’s Barclays ATP World Tour finals that are contested in London.

Singapore was chosen in a three cornered bidding competition that also included Mexico’s Monterrey and Tianjin, China. It will be the ninth city to host the WTA Championships following Boca Raton, Los Angeles, Oakland, New York, Munich, Madrid, Doha and Istanbul.

Topics: 10sballs, Istanbul, Li Na, Singapore, Sports, Tennis, Tennis News, Wta