tag

* WTA to operate Charlotte event itself under public-private partnership, Camillo says* Camillo wants the year-end Finals to be the 'Super Bowl' of women's sports* WTA weighing profit-sharing with players as 2027 prize money remains unset   The Women's Tennis Association will stage its season-ending WTA Finals in Charlotte, North Carolina, for at least three years from 2027, Chair Valerie Camillo said, as the tour seeks to take greater control of its flagship event amid concerns over its finances.The Finals, featuring the season's top eight singles players and doubles teams, will be played at Charlotte's Spectrum Center, with a fan festival planned at the nearby convention center.Camillo said the WTA would operate the event itself rather than rely on the type of outside-promoter arrangement used in the past, describing the new structure as a public-private partnership involving the city, county, state and local corporate community."The WTA will be taking greater ownership and control of the event and investing alongside our partners," Camillo told reporters this week, saying the tour wanted to build the Finals into the "Super Bowl of women's sports."Financial details of Charlotte's package were not disclosed ahead of a planned announcement by local partners. Camillo said it represented a "meaningful investment" that gave the WTA confidence to commit to the city.The move follows the WTA's decision to relocate the November 2026 Finals to Indian Wells, California, after ending an agreement under which Riyadh had hosted the event with the backing of Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund.The Telegraph reported last week that internal WTA projections showed the tour could run out of cash next year and move into debt by autumn 2027 if its spending pattern continued. The report said the WTA expected operating losses of $23 million in 2026 and cited the loss of revenue associated with the Saudi Finals deal as a major contributor. TRANSITIONAL YEAR FOR WTACamillo said 2026 was a transitional year and that the tour was tightening spending while absorbing the unexpected cost of moving the Finals to Indian Wells.She said the WTA had a "clear path" to consistent and sustainable financial performance from 2027, backed by revenue and audience growth.Asked whether remaining in Riyadh for a third year would have been financially easier, Camillo said relocating the event to Indian Wells was a strategic decision that would help lay the groundwork for the Charlotte plan.The WTA has not yet set prize money for the 2027 Finals. Camillo said equal prize money remained an important goal, but added that the tour was considering alternatives including a profit-sharing model with players."We want this event to be built together with the players," she said. "Why stop at equal prize money?"Charlotte Sports Foundation Chief Executive Will Pitts said the city hoped the Finals could eventually help establish a longer-term WTA 500 tournament, although he said that would require construction of a suitable first-class tennis facility.The WTA also plans to establish a greater operational presence in Charlotte as it builds the event, Camillo said. 

Naomi Osaka is hoping her success last year in Montreal, where she finished runner-up to Victoria Mboko, will translate as the WTA's 1000 event in Canada shifts to Toronto.The four-time Grand Slam champion from Japan is coming off a semi-final run on the hard courts of Washington, where she fell to eventual champion Alexandra Eala of the Philippines."I did better than last year in DC, so I'm just hoping to keep the ball rolling," Osaka said."I haven't historically played super, super well here, so I'm just hoping to change that this year."I can try to recall Montreal, but I would like to kind of treat the cities separately," added Osaka, whose best run in Toronto - which alternates hosting duties with Montreal each year - was a quarter-final appearance back in 2019.The former world number one is seeded 11th this year and aiming to build momentum as the August 31 start of the US Open approaches.Osaka earned the last of her four major titles at the 2021 Australian Open and has yet to regain the heights she reached before taking an extended maternity leave in 2023.But she made it to the US Open semi-finals last year and reached the last 16 at the French Open for the first time this year before a career-best quarter-final at Wimbledon."I would just hope to gain a lot of confidence leading into New York," she said."I lost my last match, but it's helped me figure out what I want to do exactly, or how I want to take my tennis."Osaka is in the same quarter as second-seeded Australian Open champion Elena Rybakina and in the fourth round she could find herself up against fifth-seeded French Open champion Mirra Andreeva.Andreeva, who suffered a shock second-round exit at Wimbledon, will face a tricky opening match against former world number one Karolina Pliskova, who beat Ukraine's Oleksandra Oliynykova 6-4, 6-4 on Monday.Osaka will open against Hungary's Panna Uvardy, who was up 2-6, 7-6 (7/3), 2-0 against Eva Lys when the German retired because of injury in a match in which she led the second set 5-2.It was a jam-packed schedule on the second day of first-round play.Among the winners, Poland's Magdalena Frech defeated France's Leolia Jeanjean 7-5, 6-3 to line up a meeting with third-seeded two-time champion Jessica Pegula.Pegula beat Frech last week on the way to the final in Washington, where the American fell to Eala in the rain-delayed title match on Monday.In other early matches, American Kayla Day beat Diane Parry of France 3-6, 6-3, 7-5 to book a clash with fourth-seeded Coco Gauff.World number one Aryna Sabalenka is the top seed in the tournament.After disappointing runs at the French Open and Wimbledon the Belarusian is aiming to reassert her dominance on hard courts, where her lone defeat this year was to Rybakina in the Australian Open final. 

Elena Rybakina powered into the Ningbo Open final with a 6-3, 6-2 victory over Jasmine Paolini on Saturday that keeps her chances alive of qualifying for the WTA Finals.Paolini could have secured her ticket to next month's season finale in Riyadh with success on Saturday.But the Italian's defeat means the battle for the last two spots will be settled at next week's Pan-Pacific Open in Tokyo, with Mirra Andreeva also still in contention."I knew the match was going to be very tough," said Rybakina, who improved her head-to-head record against Paolini to 3-3."Jasmine has played really well this season and she's a really tough opponent, so I knew I would need to bring my best."I'm happy I stayed focused until the end and won it in straight sets."Former Wimbledon champion Rybakina entered the semi-finals having lost her last two meetings with Paolini but utilised her big serve and powerful groundstrokes to win in 90 minutes.Rybakina fired 30 winners, including 10 aces, and saved all seven break points she faced to reach her second final of the season, where she will face fourth seed Ekaterina Alexandrova.Alexandrova is celebrating her top-10 debut this week and moved into her fourth final of the year with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over fellow Russian Diana Shnaider.In a rematch of the Monterrey final won by Shnaider earlier this season, Alexandrova benefited from 40 unforced errors from her opponent throughout the 92-minute showdown."I'm really happy with the result, being here in the final. I think it was a super difficult match today," said Alexandrova, who is through to the 13th WTA final of her career."I have no expectations. I will go on the court tomorrow and enjoy the atmosphere and the match."I will try to do my best because she is a great player and has a really tough serve, so it will be super difficult against her."

Italian second seed Jasmine Paolini kept her hopes of qualifying for the WTA Finals alive with a gritty comeback win over Belinda Bencic, beating Switzerland's Tokyo Olympic gold medallist 5-7 7-5 6-3 in the Ningbo Open quarter-finals on Friday.Paolini will face third-seed Elena Rybakina in the semis, after the Russian-born Kazakh took less than an hour to beat Ajla Tomljanovic 6-2 6-0 later in the day.Twice Grand Slam finalist Paolini needs a win over Rybakina in the last four to qualify for next month's WTA Finals in Riyadh.The contest against Bencic at the WTA 500 hardcourt tournament, which lasted a marathon three hours and 22 minutes, marked the longest match of Paolini's season.Bencic, 28, served for the match at 5-4 in the second set but was unable to close it out. Her momentum was further interrupted in the deciding set when she took a medical time-out due to a thigh issue while trailing 4-3."One of the toughest I ever played, honestly," Paolini, who was the runner-up at last year's French Open and Wimbledon, said. "Belinda, she's an amazing player and a very good person. Today she deserved to win as well, so it was really tough."I'm happy I stayed there, because at the beginning I had too many mistakes. I couldn't find my best tennis, but then I just tried to stay there every point and turn the match somehow."Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff, Amanda Anisimova, Jessica Pegula and Madison Keys have all qualified for the season-ending championship of the WTA Tour in Riyadh, with two spots still up for grabs.Rybakina eases past TomljanovicRybakina also remained in contention for a place at the WTA Finals, as she landed seven aces while a struggling Tomljanovic made nine double faults.Former Wimbledon champion Rybakina has now won 50 matches on the tour this year and qualified for seven semi-finals."Of course it would be nice to qualify (for the WTA Finals). But I know for this I still need to win a lot of matches. Not only here, but also next week," Rybakina said."Today I think I served well. It’s not easy to play Ajla. Today a lot of things went my way. Also some lines which I caught. Overall, happy I won in straight sets. Looking forward to tomorrow."Fourth seed Ekaterina Alexandrova brushed aside American McCartney Kessler 6-3 6-3 to set up a last-four clash with fellow Russian and seventh seed Diana Shnaider, who beat local favourite Zhu Lin 2-6 6-3 6-1 later on Friday.