The Mexican city of Cancun will host this year’s Tournament of Champions from October 29 to November 5, the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA), which previously rejected the possibility of organizing this competition in Saudi Arabia, announced on Thursday, reports AFP.

The 2023 Tournament of Champions will be held in Cancun, Mexico

In a statement, the WTA said that “after examining a number of proposals” it chose Cancun, a city located on the Gulf of Mexico, “based on a number of parameters, including logistical acceptance of players, accessibility in terms of transportation, ability to host the public and commitment to support and promote women’s tennis.”

The tournament of champions, whose official name is the “WTA Finals”, brings together the eight players with the highest ranking in singles and the best doubles at the end of the season.

Last year, the competition was held in the USA, in Fort Worth (Texas).

Saudi Arabia was initially considered the favorite to host this year’s event, but women’s tennis legends Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert have spoken out against the possibility.

“I can tell you 100% that if I was still playing, I wouldn’t have gone (to Saudi Arabia) for this tournament,” Navratilova told American media a few days before the start of the US Open.

“Obviously, there are these issues with human rights and other things, how they treat women, for example. I would be against it, but I don’t have the right to vote,” Chris Evert stressed for her part.

Some active players, such as American Jessica Pegula and Tunisia’s Ons Jaber, who are ranked 3rd and 5th respectively in the world, have instead spoken in favor of hosting the Tournament of Champions in Saudi Arabia, believing that it could be a lever to improve the position of women in the kingdom.

For her part, Poland’s world number one Iga Sviatek said she is ready to play “wherever the WTA decides”, while at the same time assessing that female tennis players have “certain power” and that they can “use” it. change things in this country.

The Chinese city of Shenzhen was among the candidates to host the “WTA Final Tournament”. But the WTA, which suspended its tournaments in China starting in December 2022 in support of China’s Peng Shuai before reversing the decision in April, preferred not to pursue that option.

Peng Shuai accused a high-ranking communist leader of her country of sexual assault. Since then, his public appearances have been under strict surveillance by the Chinese regime.

The ATP, the governing body of the men’s circuit, announced in late August that the Next Gen Finals (Nov. 28-Dec. 2), which brings together the best players under the age of 22, will be held in the Saudi Arabian city. Jeddah by 2027.

This will be the first official professional tennis tournament organized in Saudi Arabia, Agerpres reports.