WTA Tour Championships
 2013 WTA Tour Championships | ||
| WTA Tour | ||
| Location | Istanbul Turkey (2011–2013) | |
| Venue | Sinan Erdem Dome | |
| Category | Premier tournaments | |
| Surface | Hard / Indoors | |
| Draw | 8S / 4D | |
| Prize Money | US$4,900,000 (2011) | |
| Website | WTAChampionships.com | |
The WTA Tour Championships is a tennis tournament played annually at the end of the season for the top-ranked players on the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) tour. The month, city and number of players has changed since the first edition in 1972. Since 2003 there have been eight singles players divided into two groups, and four doubles teams.
The WTA Tour Championships is generally considered to be the fifth most prestigious event on the women's tour after the four Grand Slam tournaments. It also has the largest prize money and ranking points after the Grand Slams.
The most successful player is Martina Navratilova who won 8 singles titles and 12 doubles titles overall.
A similar season-ending event on the men's side takes place, called ATP World Tour Finals, formerly called Tennis Masters Cup, as a result of which this women's tournament may sometimes be referred to as the Masters.
History
The championships were held for the first time in October 1972[1] in Boca Raton, Florida (USA) as a climax event at the end of a series of tournaments sponsored by Virginia Slims, called the Virginia Slims Circuit. From 1972 to 1974, the event was held in October, before switching to March from 1975 until 1986. The WTA then decided to adopt a January–November playing season, and so the event was switched to being held at the end of each year. As a consequence, there were two championships held in 1986.
The event was held in Los Angeles, California from 1974 to 1976 before moving to Madison Square Garden (MSG) in New York City in 1977. With the exception of a one-year move to Oakland, California in 1978, the Championships remained at MSG until 2000. The event then briefly moved to Munich, Germany in 2001. More recently, it moved back to Los Angeles from 2002 to 2005. The 2006 and 2007 editions were held in Madrid, Spain. Doha, Qatar hosted the 2008–2010 editions before passing the flag to Istanbul, Turkey, which is hosted the 2011–2013 editions.[2] For the right to host the 2014 edition and beyond, 43 cities expressed an interest before a short list comprising Kazan, Russia; Mexico City, Mexico; Singapore; and Tianjin, China was drawn up in late 2012.[3] Kazan and Mexico city were ruled out in early 2013,[4] before Singapore was announced in May 2013 as the new host city for five years.[5][6]
From 1972–1978, the event was known as the Virginia Slims Championships. When Avon took over as the tour sponsor from 1979–1982, the event was known as the Avon Championships. Virginia Slims returned as the tour sponsor in 1983 and the event name reverted to the Virginia Slims Championships. It remained that way until 1994 when Virginia Slims ended their sponsorship of the WTA Tour. In 1995, without a tour sponsor, the event was simply referred to as the WTA Tour Championships. From 1996 to 2000, it was called the Chase Championships. In 2001, it was the Sanex Championships while in 2002, it was the Home Depot Championships. In 2003 and 2004, the event name was once again the WTA Tour Championships. From 2005 to 2010, with Sony Ericsson as tour sponsor, the event was called the Sony Ericsson Championships. From 2011 through to 2013 the tournament had a joint title sponsor. The event was sponsored by BNP Paribas and Türk Ekonomi Bankası and known as the TEB–BNP Paribas WTA Championships.[7][8]
From 1984–1998, the final of the championships was a best-of-five-sets match, making it the only tournament on the women's tour to have had a best-of-five match at any round of the competition. It was the first time since 1902 that the best-of-five format was used in women's matches.[9] In 1999, the final reverted to being a best-of-three-sets match. From the 2014 edition the doubles draw was increased from four pairs to eight teams.[6]
Venues
| Years | Town | Venue | Surface | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1972–1973 | Boca Raton | Clay | ||
| 1974–1976 | Los Angeles | Carpet | ||
| 1977 | New York City | Madison Square Garden | Carpet | 18,000 |
| 1978 | Oakland | Oakland Arena | Carpet | |
| 1979–2000 | New York City | Madison Square Garden | Carpet | 18,000 |
| 2001 | Munich | Olympiahalle | Hard (i) | 12,000 |
| 2002–2005 | Los Angeles | Staples Center | Hard (i) | 17,000 |
| 2006–2007 | Madrid | Madrid Arena | Hard (i) | 10,500 |
| 2008–2010 | Doha | Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex | Hard | 6,911 |
| 2011–2013 | Istanbul | Sinan Erdem Dome | Hard (i) | 16,410 |
| 2014–2018 | Singapore | Singapore Indoor Stadium | TBD | 7,500 |
Past results
Singles
| Match held in best-of-five-sets format |
| Year | Champion | Runner-up | Score in final |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1972 |  Chris Evert |
 Kerry Melville Reid |
7–5, 6–4 |
| 1973 | Chris Evert (2) |
Nancy Richey Gunter |
6–3, 6–3 |
| 1974 | Evonne Goolagong Cawley |
Chris Evert |
6–3, 6–4 |
| 1975 | Chris Evert (3) |
 Martina Navratilova |
6–4, 6–2 |
| 1976 | Evonne Goolagong Cawley (2) |
Chris Evert |
6–3, 5–7, 6–3 |
| 1977 | Chris Evert (4) |
 Sue Barker |
2–6, 6–1, 6–1 |
| 1978 | Martina Navratilova |
Evonne Goolagong Cawley |
7–6(7–0), 6–4 |
| 1979 | Martina Navratilova (2) |
Tracy Austin |
6–3, 3–6, 6–2 |
| 1980 | Tracy Austin |
Martina Navratilova |
6–2, 2–6, 6–2 |
| 1981 | Martina Navratilova (3) |
Andrea Jaeger |
6–3, 7–6(7–3) |
| 1982 |  Sylvia Hanika |
Martina Navratilova |
1–6, 6–3, 6–4 |
| 1983 | Martina Navratilova (4) |
Chris Evert |
6–2, 6–0 |
| 1984 | Martina Navratilova (5) |
Chris Evert |
6–3, 7–5, 6–1 |
| 1985 | Martina Navratilova (6) |
Helena Suková |
6–3, 7–5, 6–4 |
| 1986 (Mar.) | Martina Navratilova (7) |
Hana Mandlíková |
6–2, 6–0, 3–6, 6–1 |
| 1986 (Nov.) | Martina Navratilova (8) |
Steffi Graf |
7–6(8–6), 6–3, 6–2 |
| 1987 | Steffi Graf |
 Gabriela Sabatini |
4–6, 6–4, 6–0, 6–4 |
| 1988 | Gabriela Sabatini |
Pam Shriver |
7–5, 6–2, 6–2 |
| 1989 | Steffi Graf (2) |
Martina Navratilova |
6–4, 7–5, 2–6, 6–2 |
| 1990 |  Monica Seles |
Gabriela Sabatini |
6–4, 5–7, 3–6, 6–4, 6–2 |
| 1991 | Monica Seles (2) |
Martina Navratilova |
6–4, 3–6, 7–5, 6–0 |
| 1992 |  Monica Seles (3) |
Martina Navratilova |
7–5, 6–3, 6–1 |
| 1993 | Steffi Graf (3) |
 Arantxa Sánchez Vicario |
6–1, 6–4, 3–6, 6–1 |
| 1994 | Gabriela Sabatini (2) |
Lindsay Davenport |
6–3, 6–2, 6–4 |
| 1995 | Steffi Graf (4) |
Anke Huber |
6–1, 2–6, 6–1, 4–6, 6–3 |
| 1996 | Steffi Graf (5) |
 Martina Hingis |
6–3, 4–6, 6–0, 4–6, 6–0 |
| 1997 |  Jana Novotná |
 Mary Pierce |
7–6(7–4), 6–2, 6–3 |
| 1998 | Martina Hingis |
Lindsay Davenport |
7–5, 6–4, 4–6, 6–2 |
| 1999 | Lindsay Davenport |
Martina Hingis |
6–4, 6–2 |
| 2000 | Martina Hingis (2) |
Monica Seles |
6–7(5–7), 6–4, 6–4 |
| 2001 | Serena Williams |
Lindsay Davenport |
walkover |
| 2002 | .svg.png){kind=small} Kim Clijsters |
Serena Williams |
7–5, 6–3 |
| 2003 | Kim Clijsters (2) |
Amélie Mauresmo |
6–2, 6–0 |
| 2004 |  Maria Sharapova |
Serena Williams |
4–6, 6–2, 6–4 |
| 2005 | Amélie Mauresmo |
Mary Pierce |
5–7, 7–6(7–3), 6–4 |
| 2006 | Justine Henin |
Amélie Mauresmo |
6–4, 6–3 |
| 2007 | Justine Henin (2) |
Maria Sharapova |
5–7, 7–5, 6–3 |
| 2008 | Venus Williams |
Vera Zvonareva |
6–7(5–7), 6–0, 6–2 |
| 2009 | Serena Williams (2) |
Venus Williams |
6–2, 7–6(7–4) |
| 2010 | Kim Clijsters (3) |
 Caroline Wozniacki |
6–3, 5–7, 6–3 |
| 2011 | Petra Kvitová |
 Victoria Azarenka |
7–5, 4–6, 6–3 |
| 2012 | Serena Williams (3) |
Maria Sharapova |
6–4, 6–3 |
| 2013 | Serena Williams (4) |
 Li Na |
2–6, 6–3, 6–0 |
Timeline
Doubles
| Year | Champion | Runner-up | Score in final |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1972 | no doubles played | ||
| 1973 | Rosemary Casals Margaret Court |
Françoise Dürr Betty Stöve |
6–2, 6–4 |
| 1974 | Rosemary Casals Billie Jean King |
Françoise Dürr Betty Stöve |
6–1, 6–7(2–7), 7–5 |
| 1975 | Margaret Court Virginia Wade |
Rosemary Casals Billie Jean King |
6-7(2–7), 7-6(7–2), 6-2 |
| 1976 | no doubles played | ||
| 1977 | Martina Navratilova Betty Stöve |
Françoise Dürr Virginia Wade |
7-5, 6-3 |
| 1978 | no doubles played | ||
| 1979 | Françoise Dürr Betty Stöve |
Sue Barker Ann Kiyomura |
7–6, 7–6 |
| 1980 | Billie Jean King Martina Navratilova |
Rosemary Casals Wendy Turnbull |
6–3, 4–6, 6–3 |
| 1981 | Martina Navratilova Pam Shriver |
Barbara Potter Sharon Walsh |
6–0, 7–6(8–6) |
| 1982 | Martina Navratilova Pam Shriver |
Kathy Jordan Anne Smith |
6–4, 6–3 |
| 1983 | Martina Navratilova Pam Shriver |
Claudia Kohde-Kilsch Eva Pfaff |
7–5, 6–2 |
| 1984 | Martina Navratilova Pam Shriver |
Jo Durie Ann Kiyomura |
6–3, 6–1 |
| 1985 | Martina Navratilova Pam Shriver |
Claudia Kohde-Kilsch Helena Suková |
6–7(4–7), 6–4, 7–6(7–5) |
| 1986 (Mar.) | Hana Mandlíková Wendy Turnbull |
Claudia Kohde-Kilsch Helena Suková |
6–4, 6–7(4–7), 6–3 |
| 1986 (Nov.) | Martina Navratilova Pam Shriver |
Claudia Kohde-Kilsch Helena Suková |
7–6(1), 6–3 |
| 1987 | Martina Navratilova Pam Shriver |
Claudia Kohde-Kilsch Helena Suková |
6–1, 6–1 |
| 1988 | Martina Navratilova Pam Shriver |
 Larisa Savchenko Natalia Zvereva |
6–3, 6–4 |
| 1989 | Martina Navratilova Pam Shriver |
Larisa Savchenko Natalia Zvereva |
6–3, 6–2 |
| 1990 | Kathy Jordan Elizabeth Smylie |
Mercedes Paz Arantxa Sánchez Vicario |
7–6(7–4), 6–4 |
| 1991 | Martina Navratilova Pam Shriver |
Gigi Fernández Jana Novotná |
4–6, 7–5, 6–4 |
| 1992 | Arantxa Sánchez Vicario Helena Suková |
Jana Novotná Larisa Savchenko Neiland |
7–6(7–4), 6–1 |
| 1993 | Gigi Fernández.svg.png){kind=small} Natalia Zvereva |
Jana Novotná Larisa Neiland |
6–3, 7–5 |
| 1994 | Gigi Fernández Natasha Zvereva |
Jana Novotná Arantxa Sánchez Vicario |
6–3, 6–7(4–7), 6–3 |
| 1995 | Jana Novotná Arantxa Sánchez Vicario |
Gigi Fernández Natasha Zvereva |
6–2, 6–1 |
| 1996 | Lindsay Davenport Mary Joe Fernández |
Jana Novotná Arantxa Sánchez Vicario |
6–3, 6–2 |
| 1997 | Lindsay Davenport Jana Novotná |
Alexandra Fusai Nathalie Tauziat |
6–7(5–7), 6–3, 6–2 |
| 1998 | Lindsay Davenport Natasha Zvereva |
Alexandra Fusai Nathalie Tauziat |
6–7(6–8), 7–5, 6–3 |
| 1999 | Martina Hingis Anna Kournikova |
Arantxa Sánchez Vicario Larisa Neiland |
6–4, 6–4 |
| 2000 | Martina Hingis Anna Kournikova |
Nicole Arendt Manon Bollegraf |
6–2, 6–3 |
| 2001 | Lisa Raymond Rennae Stubbs |
 Cara Black Elena Likhovtseva |
7–5, 3–6, 6–3 |
| 2002 | Elena Dementieva Janette Husárová |
Cara Black Elena Likhovtseva |
4–6, 6–4, 6–3 |
| 2003 | Virginia Ruano Pascual Paola Suárez |
Kim Clijsters Ai Sugiyama |
6–4, 3–6, 6–3 |
| 2004 | Nadia Petrova Meghann Shaughnessy |
Cara Black Rennae Stubbs |
7–5, 6–2 |
| 2005 | Lisa Raymond Samantha Stosur |
Cara Black Rennae Stubbs |
6–7(5–7), 7–5, 6–4 |
| 2006 | Lisa Raymond Samantha Stosur |
Cara Black Rennae Stubbs |
3–6, 6–3, 6–3 |
| 2007 | Cara Black Liezel Huber |
 Katarina Srebotnik Ai Sugiyama |
5–7, 6–3, [10–8] |
| 2008 | Cara Black Liezel Huber |
Květa Peschke Rennae Stubbs |
6–1, 7–5 |
| 2009 | Nuria Llagostera Vives María José Martínez Sánchez |
Cara Black Liezel Huber |
7–6(7–0), 5–7, [10–7] |
| 2010 | Gisela Dulko Flavia Pennetta |
Květa Peschke Katarina Srebotnik |
7–5, 6–4 |
| 2011 | Liezel Huber Lisa Raymond |
Květa Peschke Katarina Srebotnik |
6–4, 6–4 |
| 2012 | Maria Kirilenko Nadia Petrova |
Andrea Hlaváčková Lucie Hradecká |
6–1, 6–4 |
| 2013 |  Hsieh Su-wei Peng Shuai |
Ekaterina Makarova Elena Vesnina |
6–4, 7–5 |
Honor roll (2003-2013)
Singles
| W = winner F = finalist (runner-up) SF = Semi final RR = Round robin (A) = Alternate W-L = win-loss |
| Player | Result | Appeared | RR W–L | RR W Rate | SF&F W–L | SF&F W Rate | F W–L |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Victoria Azarenka |
F:11 SF:12 RR:09,10,13 | 5 | 07–08 | 0.47 | 01-02 | 0.33 | 0-1 |
| Marion Bartoli |
RR:07,11(A) | 2 | 02–01 | 0.67 | |||
| Jennifer Capriati |
SF:03 | 1 | 02–01 | 0.67 | 00-01 | 0 | |
| Anna Chakvetadze |
SF:07 | 1 | 02-01 | 0.67 | 00-01 | 0 | |
| Kim Clijsters |
W:03,10 SF:06 RR:05 | 4 | 08–04 | 0.67 | 04-01 | 0.8 | 2-0 |
| Lindsay Davenport |
SF:05 RR:04 | 2 | 04-02 | 0.67 | 00-01 | 0 | |
| Elena Dementieva |
SF:08 RR:03-06,09,10 | 7 | 05–16 | 0.24 | 00-01 | 0 | |
| Sara Errani |
RR:12,13 | 2 | 02-04 | 0.33 | |||
| Daniela Hantuchová |
RR:07 | 1 | 01–02 | 0.33 | |||
| Justine Henin |
W:06,07 SF:03 | 3 | 07-02 | 0.78 | 04-01 | 0.8 | 2-0 |
| Martina Hingis |
RR:06 | 1 | 01–02 | 0.33 | |||
 Ana Ivanovic |
SF:07 RR:08 | 2 | 02-03 | 0.4 | 00-01 | 0 | |
| Jelena Janković |
SF:08,09,13 RR:07,10 | 5 | 05-10 | 0.33 | 00-03 | 0 | |
| Angelique Kerber |
RR:12,13 | 2 | 01-05 | 0.17 | |||
| Svetlana Kuznetsova |
RR:04,06-09 | 5 | 03–12 | 0.2 | |||
| Petra Kvitová |
W:11 SF: 13 RR:12 | 3 | 05-02 | 0.71 | 02-01 | 0.67 | 1-0 |
| Li Na |
F:13 RR:11,12 | 3 | 05-04 | 0.56 | 01–01 | 0.50 | 0–1 |
| Amélie Mauresmo |
W:05 F:03,06 SF:04 | 4 | 09-03 | 0.75 | 04-03 | 0.57 | 1-2 |
| Anastasia Myskina |
SF:04 RR:03 | 2 | 03–03 | 0.5 | 00-01 | 0 | |
| Nadia Petrova |
RR:05,06,08(A) | 3 | 02-05 | 0.29 | |||
| Mary Pierce |
F:05 | 1 | 03–00 | 1 | 01-01 | 0.5 | 0-1 |
 Agnieszka Radwańska |
SF:12 RR:08(A),09(A),11,13 | 5 | 05-06 | 0.45 | 00-01 | 0 | |
| Chanda Rubin |
RR:03 | 1 | 01–02 | 0.33 | |||
| Dinara Safina |
RR:08,09 | 2 | 00–04 | 0 | |||
| Francesca Schiavone |
RR:10 | 1 | 01–02 | 0.33 | |||
| Patty Schnyder |
RR:05 | 1 | 01-02 | 0.33 | |||
| Maria Sharapova |
W:04 F:07,12 SF:05,06 RR:11 | 6 | 13-04 | 0.76 | 04-04 | 0.5 | 1-2 |
| Samantha Stosur |
SF:10,11 RR:12(A) | 3 | 04-04 | 0.5 | 00-02 | 0 | |
| Ai Sugiyama |
RR:03 | 1 | 01-02 | 0.33 | |||
| Serena Williams |
W:09,12,13 F:04 RR:07,08 | 6 | 12-03 | 0.80 | 07-01 | 0.88 | 3-1 |
| Venus Williams |
W:08 F:09 | 2 | 04-02 | 0.67 | 03-01 | 0.75 | 1-1 |
| Caroline Wozniacki |
F:10 SF:09 RR:11 | 3 | 05-04 | 0.56 | 01-02 | 0.33 | 0-1 |
| Vera Zvonareva |
F:08 SF:10,11 RR:04,09(A) | 5 | 07-06 | 0.54 | 01-03 | 0.25 | 0-1 |
Final appearances by country
Singles
| Titles won | Country | Years Won | Runners Up |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16 | United States | 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1980, 1983, 1984, 1985, 19861, 19862, 1999, 2001, 2008, 2009, 2012, 2013 | 1973, 1974, 1976, 1979, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1988, 1989, 1991, 1992, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2009 |
| 6 | Germany | 1982, 1987, 1989, 1993, 1995, 1996 | 19862, 1995 |
| 5 | Belgium | 2002, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2010 | |
| Czechoslovakia/ Czech Republic | 1978, 1979, 1981, 1997, 2011 | 1975, 1980, 1985, 19861 | |
| 3 | / Yugoslavia | 1990, 1991, 1992 | |
| 2 | Argentina | 1988, 1994 | 1987, 1990 |
| Australia | 1974, 1976 | 1972, 1978 | |
| Switzerland | 1998, 2000 | 1996, 1999 | |
| 1 | France | 2005 | 1997, 2003, 2005, 2006 |
| Russia | 2004 | 2007, 2008, 2012 | |
| 0 | Belarus | 2011 | |
| China | 2013 | ||
| Denmark | 2010 | ||
| Great Britain | 1977 | ||
| Spain | 1993 |
- 1. March
- 2. November
Final appearances by player
Singles
| Player | Years won | Runner-up | No. of finals | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Martina Navratilova | 8 | 1978, 1979, 1981, 1983, 1984, 1985, 19861, 19862 | 6 | 1975, 1980, 1982, 1989, 1991, 1992 | 14 |
| Steffi Graf | 5 | 1987, 1989, 1993, 1995, 1996 | 1 | 19862 | 6 |
| Chris Evert | 4 | 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977 | 4 | 1974, 1976, 1983, 1984 | 8 |
| Serena Williams | 4 | 2001, 2009, 2012, 2013 | 2 | 2002, 2004 | 6 |
| Monica Seles | 3 | 1990, 1991, 1992 | 1 | 2000 | 4 |
| Kim Clijsters | 3 | 2002, 2003, 2010 | 0 | 3 | |
| Gabriela Sabatini | 2 | 1988, 1994 | 2 | 1987, 1990 | 4 |
| Martina Hingis | 2 | 1998, 2000 | 2 | 1996, 1999 | 4 |
| Evonne Goolagong Cawley | 2 | 1974, 1976 | 1 | 1978 | 3 |
| Justine Henin | 2 | 2006, 2007 | 0 | 2 | |
| Lindsay Davenport | 1 | 1999 | 3 | 1994, 1998, 2001 | 4 |
| Amélie Mauresmo | 1 | 2005 | 2 | 2003, 2006 | 3 |
| Maria Sharapova | 1 | 2004 | 2 | 2007, 2012 | 3 |
| Tracy Austin | 1 | 1980 | 1 | 1979 | 2 |
| Venus Williams | 1 | 2008 | 1 | 2009 | 2 |
| Sylvia Hanika | 1 | 1982 | 0 | 1 | |
| Jana Novotná | 1 | 1997 | 0 | 1 | |
| Petra Kvitová | 1 | 2011 | 0 | 1 | |
| Mary Pierce | 0 | 2 | 1997, 2005 | 2 | |
| Sue Barker | 0 | 1 | 1977 | 1 | |
| Helena Suková | 0 | 1 | 1985 | 1 | |
| Hana Mandlíková | 0 | 1 | 19861 | 1 | |
| Pam Shriver | 0 | 1 | 1988 | 1 | |
| Arantxa Sánchez Vicario | 0 | 1 | 1993 | 1 | |
| Anke Huber | 0 | 1 | 1995 | 1 | |
| Vera Zvonareva | 0 | 1 | 2008 | 1 | |
| Caroline Wozniacki | 0 | 1 | 2010 | 1 | |
| Victoria Azarenka | 0 | 1 | 2011 | 1 | |
| Li Na | 0 | 1 | 2013 | 1 | |
- 1. March
- 2. November
See also
References
- ↑ "Tournament History". WTA Tour. Retrieved 4 December 2010.
- ↑ "2011 Calendar Announced". WTA Tour. 2 July 2010. Retrieved 4 December 2010.
- ↑ http://www.wtachampionships.com/page/LatestNews/Read/0,,12910~2962994,00.html
- ↑ http://www.wtatennis.com/news/article/3058045/title/three-cities-still-in-running-to-host-wta-championships
- ↑ http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-22433512
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 http://www.wtatennis.com/news/article/3168717
- ↑ http://www.sportbusiness.com/news/183746/teb-bnp-paribas-to-sponsor-wta-championships
- ↑ http://www.wtachampionships.com/page/LatestNews/Read/0,,12910~2397625,00.html
- ↑ "It’s the Way It’s (Almost) Always Been". New York Times. 3 September 2012. Retrieved 26 September 2012.
External links
| |||||||||||