Shenzhen, China to host WTA Finals till 2028

WTA Chief Executive Officer Steve Simon (Yong Teck Lim/AP)

MELBOURNE, Australia — The Women’s Tennis Association says Shenzhen, China will host the season-ending WTA Finals for a decade beginning in 2019.

The WTA issued a statement Thursday saying real estate developer Gemdale Corporation submitted the winning bid and will build a 12,000-seat stadium. It will also provide prize money of $14 million for the top eight singles players and top eight doubles teams, double the previous purse.

The city already hosts the Shenzhen Open in early January, one of the tuneup tournaments for the Australian Open. Top-ranked Simona Halep won the title there two weeks ago.

The 2018 WTA Finals are scheduled for Singapore in October.

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