​The WTA Finals is moving from Saudi Arabia.From 2024 to 2025, the end-of-year event was held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.The WTA has decided to leave the Gulf state, and this year’s event will take place in Indian Wells, California.On Wednesday, the WTA announced that Charlotte, North Carolina, will host the prestigious tournament from 2027 to 2029.The WTA Finals is set to be held in the USA for four consecutive years for the first time in over 25 yearsFrom 1972 to 2000, the WTA Finals were held in the USA.The tournaments held between 1997 and 2000 represent the last time the WTA Finals was hosted in the USA for four consecutive years.Between 2000 and 2026, the WTA Finals were held in America on five occasions: Los Angeles from 2002 to 2005, and Fort Worth in 2022.With the WTA announcing Charlotte as the host from 2027 to 2029, the event is set to be held in America for four years in a row for the first time since 2000.YearLocationCountry1972–73Boca Raton United States1974–76Los Angeles United States1977New York City United States1978Oakland United States1979–2000New York City United States2001Munich Germany2002–05Los Angeles United States2006–07Madrid Spain2008–10Doha Qatar2011–13Istanbul Turkey2014–18Singapore Singapore2019Shenzhen China2021Guadalajara Mexico2022Fort Worth United States2023Cancún Mexico2024–25Riyadh Saudi Arabia2026Indian Wells United StatesThe new Charlotte-based event is set to be held at the Spectrum Center, home of the NBA’s Charlotte Hornets.“In Charlotte, we found more than a host city,” said Valerie Camillo, Chair of the WTA. We found partners who share that ambition and a place where we can build a true home for the Finals and for the WTA.”Who won the first ever WTA Finals?The first edition of the WTA Finals was hosted in Boca Raton, USA.Chris Evert, an 18-time major singles champion and one of only 10 women to complete the Career Grand Slam, defeated Laurie Fleming, Karen Krantzcke and top seed Billie Jean King en route to the showpiece event.Evert emerged triumphant in the final, defeating sixth seed Kerry Melville, 7-5, 6-4.Photo by Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty Images“I remember being thrilled the tournament was in my backyard, on clay, because a lot of tournaments on the Virginia Slims Circuit were indoors on a faster court and most of the top players were serve-and-volleyers,” Evert told the WTA in 2022.“Since then, the Championships have mostly been played indoors on faster surfaces, so the conditions were ideal that year. The heat and the humidity didn’t bother me.”