The WTA will reportedly spend $14-15 million on building a temporary stadium for the WTA Finals in Cancun, Mexico. This amount is significantly higher than the prize purse of $9 million up for grabs at the tournament.
It was rumored earlier that Saudi Arabia would host the season-end WTA event before Mexico was confirmed. As it became a controversial point, many players and fans spoke against the possibility of the Middle Eastern nation hosting the women’s competition. The WTA Finals are embroiled in controversy again, with reports of the association’s heavy spending in Cancun being criticized.
WTA announces plan to construct expensive stadium for Finals
The WTA Finals are scheduled from October 29 to November 5 in Cancun, Mexico. The top eight in singles and doubles will participate in the season’s most important tournament after the four Grand Slams. The finals of the Billie Jean King Cup begin on November 7, two days after the WTA event. The BJK Cup will be held in Spain, a long travel from the WTA Finals in Mexico. The tight schedule and the events being spread wide over have drawn the ire of the fans and players alike.
For the finals in Cancun, the association is set to build an ‘assembleable’ stadium for the Finals, costing an eye-watering $14-15 million. Gustavo Santoscoy, co-director at WTA Guadalajara, said the association will construct the 4000-seater in the Hotel Zone area in Cancun. The temporary stadium will be in front of the players’ hotels. It will also have two alternate courts for practice.
Comparatively, the overall prize money on offer in the Finals is only $9 million. The cost of the temporary stadium is nearly 60% more than what the players will receive. The prize purse might be substantially bumped up from the $5 million last year, but still pales to what the WTA is keeping aside for a new, interim arena.
The added costs of building a stadium from scratch have seen criticism from all corners. The WTA avoided one controversy by not holding the Finals in Saudi Arabia but stepped right into another with their plans to put up a makeshift stadium in Cancun.
Fans react to reports of massive spending
The WTA received many bids for the Finals, including Saudi Arabia. Awarding the hosting rights to the gulf nation would have caused immense controversies. Many players and fans criticized even considering the Arab country as a host. Ultimately, Cancun, Mexico, was given the host duties. The WTA’s plans to build a new, temporary stadium was not openly welcomed by fans on X (now Twitter).
The top 8 women’s players in singles and top 8 pairs in doubles will feature at the WTA Finals. Iga Swiatek, Aryna Sabalenka, Coco Gauff and Elena Rybakina have already qualified with four more singles spots left. Gauff has also qualified for doubles along with Jessica Pegula and the pair of Storm Hunter and Elise Mertens as six slots remain.
