City leaders say the Queen City has the infrastructure, track record and momentum to land women’s tennis’ most prestigious year-end event.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. β CharlotteΒ has spent the last two years building its tennis rΓ©sumΓ©, hosting marquee names through the Charlotte Invitational. Now, city leaders are swinging for something much bigger.
The Queen City has emerged as the front-runner to host the WTA Finals in 2027, the year-end championship that crowns the best women’s tennis player on the planet.
The WTA Finals is women’s tennis’ signature showcase event. Only the top eight players in the world qualify, and according to the WTA. The tournament generates more than $24 million in economic impact wherever it lands.
“This is the mecca of the end of the season tennis,” Calvin Davis, Charlotte Country Day tennis coach, said.
The event is currently held in Saudi Arabia, but that deal expires after this year’s tournament. Charlotte β anchored by the newly-renovated Spectrum Center β has emerged as the frontrunner for 2027, competing against just one other finalist, Gdansk, Poland.
Davis says landing the event would serve as an ace for the Queen City, and for the next generation of players watching from the sidelines.
“This will be an enthusiastic moment for up and coming amateur players who are looking to go to college, who are looking to play professionally,” Davis said. “It will enhance our park and rec programs. It will enhance our country club type of programs. It will just explode this game for all of us right here in Charlotte.”
It’s not just coaches pushing for the event. Charlotte City Council Member Malcolm Graham says the city’s recent work on the national sports stage has helped build the relationships needed to land a tournament of this magnitude.
“We’ve been doing the work and making the relationships,” Graham said. “And tennis is a relationship type of sport, right? And it’s a small group of promoters and owners of these tournaments. And by showcasing Charlotte through the whole bid situation, it helped.”
If Charlotte wins the bid, it is expected to be a multi-year deal running through 2029, making the Queen City the home of women’s tennis’ biggest stage for years to come.
Β A final decision is expected by the end of April, with an official announcement anticipated before the start of the French Open in late May.
Contact Myles Harris at mharris5@wcnc.com and follow him on Facebook, X andΒ Instagram.
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