WTA championships headed to Qatar
Wimbledon, England - On Friday, the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour announced that Doha, Qatar will host the 2008-10 Sony Ericsson Championships.
‘The awarding of our Sony Ericsson Championships to Qatar represents an exciting continuation of our strategy to showcase the very best of women’s tennis in different regions and markets throughout the world,’ said Sony Ericsson WTA Tour CEO Larry Scott.
The agreement between the WTA and Doha, Qatar is for three years and $42 million.
The Sony Ericsson Championships will feature record prize money
of $4.45 million. The singles titlist of the event will pocket $1,485,000, which will be the highest single guaranteed payout in women’s tennis to date.
‘We are honored that Doha, Qatar will become the new home of the most prestigious and storied tournament on the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour,’ said Sheikh Mohammad Bin Faleh Al Thani, president of the Qatar tennis federation.
The Doha, Qatar Sony Ericsson Championships will mark the end of the WTA tour schedule for 2008-10.
Through 2011-2013, the Sony Ericsson Championships will shift from Qatar to Istanbul in Turkey.
‘We’re thrilled to have been awarded the honor to host the Sony Ericsson Championships for 2011-2013, the most prestigious tournament in women’s tennis,’ said Coskun Erginer, managing director of the Istanbul Cup. ‘Tennis is growing very rapidly in Turkey, and we are committed to building upon the great tradition of the Sony Ericsson Championships.’
The WTA also announced that the 2008 calendar will feature 60 tournaments in 34 countries with prize money totaling almost $67 million. In 2009, there will be 56 tournaments in 32 countries with prize money reaching approximately $77 million.
© 2007 The Sports Network