Simona Halep will be in Riyadh for this year's WTA Finals after being announced as the newest ambassador for the season-ending tournament.
After falling just short of striking a deal in 2023 to send the WTA Finals to Saudi Arabia, the WTA and the Saudis agreed on a three-year deal to make Riyadh the host city for the season-ending tournament between 2024 and 2026. For their inaugural tournament edition, the Saudis made a splash move when Garbine Muguruza was announced as the WTA Finals tournament director.
Ons Jabeur, who was one of the leading voices to give Saudi Arabia a chance to host such a prestigious tournament, didn't play in Riyadh last year, but she was there in the role of an ambassador. She is set for the same task this year.
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In the ambassador role, Jabeur will be joined by former world No. 1 Halep, who ended her pro tennis career in February after picking up a serious knee injury.
Halep's statement on becoming a WTA FInals Riyadh ambassador
"Hi everyone, it's Simona Halep here. I'm thrilled to be a part of the WTA Finals in Riyadh this year. It's such a special event, bringing the best of tennis to a brand new stage. Make sure you grab your tickets today and come experience this amazing tournament with us," the former two-time Grand Slam champion said in a statement.
During her career, Halep made five appearances at the WTA Finals. In her first appearance at the season-ending tournament in 2014, the Romanian came very close to winning the main glory, but in the end fell just short after losing to Serena Williams in the final. A bit interestingly, she didn't make it past the group stage in any of her next four appearances.
Halep was one of the biggest and most successful players of her generation, and there is no doubt that the Saudis pulled off a big move by landing her as an ambassador.
