By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Tuesday September 14, 2021
The WTA Finals will move to Guadalajara, Mexico for 2021.
For one year only, the elite championships will be held in Mexico, this Nov. 8-15.
A statement from the WTA Tour about the change, and plans for the event to move back to Shenzhen, China in 2022, is here:
The WTA announced today Guadalajara, Mexico will host the 2021 season-ending WTA Finals the week of November 8. The prestigious year-end finale, featuring the top 8 singles players and doubles teams on the Porsche Race to the WTA Finals, will be held in Guadalajara this year, with the event returning to its home in Shenzhen, China from 2022 through 2030.
"I would like to extend my appreciation to the Guadalajara tournament organizers and Octagon for their commitment in hosting the event this season and for helping the WTA write another exciting chapter in WTA Finals history," said Steve Simon, WTA Chairman and CEO. "We are excited to bring our showpiece tournament to the exciting and vibrant city of Guadalajara in this unique year."
Simon added, "I would also like to express my gratitude to the Gemdale Corporation in Shenzhen for their cooperation and resilience, and we look forward to returning in 2022 to enjoy the WTA Finals over the next decade."
Guadalajara, a city in western Mexico and the second largest city in the country, is considered the cultural center of Mexico and has hosted various international sporting, film and entertainment events. The city is no stranger to women’s tennis, having also held a successful WTA 250 event in March earlier this year.
"We are delighted to announce the WTA Finals will be coming to Guadalajara this season and it is our immense honor to welcome the top 8 singles players and doubles teams to Mexico for this highly respected event," said Tournament Director Gustavo Santoscoy. "We look forward to hosting the WTA Finals in 2021 and putting on a world class tournament in November for the millions of tennis fans around the globe." Remarking on the home of the WTA Finals, Eddy Liu, Co-Tournament Director of the Shiseido WTA Finals Shenzhen and CEO of Gemdale Sports, stated, "Shenzhen remains honored and committed to the Shiseido WTA Finals Shenzhen and we look forward to welcoming the event back to China in 2022 to build upon the legacy after its first historic staging in 2019."