WTA Defends Playing Year-End Finals in Smaller Indian Wells Stadium

The WTA defended its decision to hold the WTA Finals in Indian Wells’s second-largest stadium, which holds roughly half as many spectators as the venue’s main court. 

In a statement to Front Office Sports, tournament director Fabrice Chouquet cited the relatively short amount of time it had to plan the event, after it announced Indian Wells as this year’s host on July 1, more than four months ago. 

“With a condensed planning timeline following the announcement of the WTA Finals’ move to Indian Wells, our priority was to create the best possible experience for players and fans alike,” Chouquet told FOS. “Stadium 2 offers a world-class setting that brings fans closer to the action and creates an electric atmosphere for the season-ending championship. We worked closely with the Indian Wells team to ensure the venue and overall event experience reflect the prestige of the WTA Finals.”

The WTA Finals, which began Sunday, is taking place at Indian Wells’ 8,000-seat Stadium 2. During the prestigious ATP/WTA 1000 event hosted at the Southern California venue every March, the highest-profile matches are held on Stadium 1, which has a 16,100-seat capacity.

Sunday’s round robin action got underway in front of a sellout crowd, though Monday’s spectator figures fell just short of that mark. In a statement to FOS, WTA chair Valerie Camillo said Sunday sellout was a sign of strong demand for women’s tennis, and that fans had “tremendous enthusiasm” for the event.

The WTA has struggled to find a long-term home for the year-end Finals. In 2021, it pulled out of a 10-year deal to hold the event in Shenzhen, China due to concerns over the safety and whereabouts of Chinese player Peng Shuai, who accused a Chinese government official of sexual assault and subsequently disappeared from public view.

The next three years, it rotated through one-time venues in Guadalajara, Fort Worth, and Cancún. The latter edition drew criticism from players over poor court conditions, with then-world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka saying the WTA showed “disrespect” to the players.

In 2024, the tour reached a three-year agreement to hold the Finals in Riyadh, sparking backlash over Saudi Arabia’s human rights record and treatment of women. The WTA and Saudi Tennis Federation mutually agreed to cut that deal short a year early after poor attendance in previous editions and uncertainty over the U.S.-Iran war, leading to the temporary move to Indian Wells. 

In September, the WTA announced it will move the Finals to Charlotte, North Carolina for 2027–2029, in addition to relocating the organization’s global headquarters there. That decision came after reports that the tour is running low on money, with a projected $15 million cash on hand at the end of the year and a five-year, $150 million deal with private equity firm CVC ending in 2027.

“In Charlotte, we found more than a host city,” Camillo said in a statement announcing the move. “We found partners who share that ambition and a place where we can build a true home for the Finals and for the WTA.”

The WTA Finals brings together the world’s top eight players at the end of the season. The first six days of the event feature round robin play in two four-player groups, before the top two players from each group qualify for the semifinals this weekend. An undefeated singles champion will earn $3.37 million, while the total purse between singles and doubles is set at $10 million.

Controversy hit before play even began when world No. 5 Jessica Pegula was caught on a hot mic during a practice session calling No. 3 Mirra Andreeva a “diva” who “needs to be humbled.” In a statement to FOS, the WTA apologized for failing to inform players that microphones were active on the courts. 

Pegula called the incident an “unfortunate situation” and said she was not aware she was being recorded. Andreeva said after her Monday win over Elina Svitolina that she appreciated Pegula apologizing to her within hours of the leak.

“There is no drama or anything behind it,” Andreeva said. “Now we’re able to laugh about it.”

World No. 1 Elena Rybakina withdrew on the tournament’s eve with a viral illness, and was replaced in the draw by alternate Marta Kostyuk.