Singapore to Host WTA Championships from 2014

The Women’s World Tennis Association (WTA) has announced that Singapore will host the end-of-season tour championships from 2014 for five years.

Singapore beat fellow candidates Monterrey in Mexico and Tianjin in China.

Prize money at the event is £4.2m ($6.5m) for the top eight singles players and top eight doubles players.

WTA Chief Executive Stacey Allaster said: “This is the largest and most significant WTA Championships partnership in our history. It’s a record-breaker.”

Allaster confirmed to the BBC that holding the event in Singapore was a part of the WTA’s decision to expand the sport in the Asia-Pacific region.

“That was definitely one of the elements behind our decision,” Allaster told the BBC. “We want to enhance and grow our strategy in the region, with a focus on south-east Asia.”

The $1bn Singapore Sports Hub will host the championships.

Lim Teck Yin, CEO of the Singapore Sports Council said: “This is an excellent opportunity for the sports industry to showcase its capabilities in hosting world class events.”

Istanbul was the latest host of the even between 2011-13.