After weeks of debate over the possibility of hosting the WTA Finals in Saudi Arabia, the location of the 2023 WTA Finals has been chosen, with the top eight women's singles players heading to Cancun, Mexico.

The tournament was originally scheduled to take place in Shenzhen, China after the WTA signed a lucrative deal back in 2018 to host the tournament in the country for the next decade.

However, after the Covid-19 pandemic and a boycott of tournaments in China following the Peng Shuai controversy, the last few Finals have been held elsewhere.

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Saudi Arabia among countries that bid to host 2023 Finals

This led to several countries putting in bids to host the 2023 season-ending championship. These included Prague, the capital city of the Czech Republic, and Riyadh, the capital city of Saudi Arabia - which seemed to be the two frontrunners.

However, the latter has drawn a lot of criticism from fans and players alike. While the likes of Nick Kyrgios, Ons Jabeur, and Billie Jean King have supported greater involvement with Saudi Arabia, former players Martina Navratilova, Chris Evert, and John McEnroe have all come out against such a decision. Their reasons revolve primarily around the country's poor human rights record, particularly its treatment of women.

However, this will no longer be an issue for this year's tournament, although Saudi Arabia is still set to host the ATP Next Gen Finals until 2027.

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Fans call out tight schedule caused by choosing Mexico

WTA Chairman and CEO Steve Simon expressed his excitement about the decision to host the tournament in the Mexican city.

"I would like to extend my appreciation to the Cancun tournament organizers GS Sports Management, for their commitment in hosting the WTA Finals this year.

"This edition of the WTA Finals will provide a fantastic experience for players and fans alike, offer a fitting finale for the 2023 Hologic WTA Tour, and enable us to continue building a strong future for women’s tennis," he said.

However, some fans have pointed out how hosting the tournament outside of Europe could cause issues for the players involved, as they will have to get to Spain immediately afterward for the Billie Jean King Cup Finals.

"*Have a chance to organize WTA Finals in the Czech Republic and then go to Seville for BJK Cup Finals*

WTA: No, let's do it again WTA Finals in North America," wrote one.

"Great.... and week later are the BJKC in Seville," added another, followed by a clown-face emoji.

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Confirmed ✅ Cancun, Mexico will host the 2023 season-ending WTA Finals from October 29th to November 5th 🇲🇽 #WTAFinals

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