The women’s season-ending tennis championship is scheduled for 8–15 November at Indian Wells Tennis Garden in California after the WTA and Saudi Tennis Federation agreed to end their hosting arrangement early.
The 2026 WTA Finals will be played at Indian Wells Tennis Garden in California rather than in Saudi Arabia, following an agreement to end the Saudi hosting arrangement early. The Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) announced the 8–15 November schedule on 1 July 2026.
The move follows two years of the Finals in Riyadh. In a joint statement, the WTA and Saudi Tennis Federation said the WTA requested a new host location, the federation accepted the proposal and both agreed to conclude the arrangement. They did not give a reason for the request or disclose the termination terms.
The Finals bring together the top eight singles players and doubles teams in the season’s qualification race. In its July announcement, the WTA said tickets were available in presale to selected groups and general public ticket sales were due to open on 2 July at wtafinals.com.
The confirmed tennis move differs from the situation facing Formula 1. In a November 3 report, BBC Sport said the sport was still planning to race in Qatar on 27–29 November and Abu Dhabi on 4–6 December after receiving security reassurances from government sources.
BBC Sport said that if the situation in the Middle East deteriorated over the following week or so, both races could be canceled and replaced by a single event at Imola in Italy on the Abu Dhabi weekend.
Jean-Philippe Mateta will miss three domestic matches after Crystal Palace’s appeal failed, but remains eligible for Crystal Palace’s Europa League games against Hoffenheim and Real Sociedad.
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Britain’s Mika Stojsavljevic said she had only an hour’s notice before her first WTA Tour main-draw victory, which sends her into the second round.
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The reported cancellation covers the 2028 and 2032 finals and Qatar Airways’ sponsorship of four editions. France and Spain have expressed informal interest in 2028, with a hosting tender planned for the start of 2027.
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