Charlotte just made a major tennis move
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
The 2024 Charlotte Invitational at Spectrum Center drew 16,194 fans. Photo: Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images
The Women's Tennis Association is moving its corporate headquarters to Charlotte. The city will also host the annual WTA Finals for the next three years starting in 2027, the Charlotte Sports Foundation announced Wednesday morning.
Why it matters: It's a move that will bring jobs to Charlotte and some of the biggest stars in the sport to Uptown.
The latest: N.C. Gov. Josh Stein will be at Spectrum Center this afternoon for a formal announcement about WTA's move to the state.
Catch up quick: WTA is the governing body for women's professional tennis. It was founded in 1973 by tennis icon Billie Jean King to provide equal opportunities in the sport for women.
State of play: WTA's corporate headquarters are currently in St. Petersburg, Florida. This year's WTA Finals are scheduled to take place Nov. 8-15 at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden in Indian Wells, California.
- The finals will then transition to Spectrum Center in Uptown every November from 2027-2029. The first one in Charlotte is scheduled for Nov. 10-14, 2027.
- The finals include the top eight singles players and top eight doubles teams.
By the numbers: The state contributed$14.4 million to help secure the WTA Finals. Funding came from the North Carolina's Major Events, Games, and Attractions Fund, per Stein's office.
- The state's commerce department oversees the fund, which was established as part of North Carolina's 2023 law legalizing sports betting. The fund is sustained by taxes from sports betting in North Carolina.
Zoom in: After 2029, Charlotte would be able to host a WTA 500 event, which is the second-highest tier of WTA tournaments. However, securing a WTA 500 event is contingent on the building a new tennis-specific facility in Charlotte, per CSF.
Between the lines: This isn't the first time Charlotte has tried to build a major tennis facility.
- Last fall, Charlotte City Council member Malcolm Graham told reporters he'd been quietly pushing to revive Charlotte's dashed dreams of building a tennis stadium.
Go deeper: Charlotte quietly revives push for big-time tennis stadium
Flashback: In 2023, Charlotte was in the running to host the Western and Southern Open, but tournament owners opted to keep the event in Ohio. The decision was due to the rising costs of building a new standalone facility, the owners said at the time. But Charlotte's tennis dreams didn't stop there.
- Instead, Charlotte has held a tennis exhibition at Spectrum Center since 2024, hosting Carlos Alcaraz, Frances Tiafoe and icon Venus Williams, to name a few.
- The Charlotte Sports Foundation, which has been the driving force behind the annual Charlotte Invitational and a number of other sporting events around the city, is also a key player in helping bring WTA to town.
What's next: The Charlotte Invitational is scheduled to take place at Spectrum Center this fall (the date and opponents are TBD).
What we're watching: While the recently renovated Spectrum Center, home of the Charlotte Hornets, has served as a tennis venue, the ultimate goal is to build a standalone facility to keep high-profile tennis events in town after 2029.
Editor's note: This is a developing story and will be updated.