WTA Finals 2022: When is it, draw, players, prize money, ranking points, where to watch and more
The 51st edition of the WTA Finals will start on Monday, October 31. The top eight female players from the 2022 season will compete in the year-end championships, which will take place in Fort Worth, Texas.
The players will be divided into two groups of four each, with the top two from each group qualifying for the semifinals of the competition.
Here's all you need to know about the year-end championships.
What is the WTA Finals?
The WTA Finals is a season-ending tournament in women's tennis that takes place every year. The competition was first held in 1972 and has been a staple of the WTA calendar since, except for 2020 when it was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The year-end championships have been held in a number of countries to date, including the United States of America (USA), Germany, Spain, Qatar, Turkey and Mexico. The tournament will return to the USA for the first time since 2005 and will take place in Fort Worth, Texas.
With eight titles, Martina Navratilova has won the competition the most times. Other top players who have triumphed at the year-end championships include Chris Evert, Steffi Graf, Serena Williams, Venus Williams and Maria Sharapova.
Garbine Muguruza won the competition last year by beating Anett Kontaveit 6-3, 7-5 in the final.
Venue
The Dickies Arena in Fort Worth is the venue for this season's WTA Finals. It has a seating capacity of 14,000.
Players
Iga Swiatek is the top seed and perhaps the favorite to win this season's WTA Finals. The Pole has enjoyed a sensational season, winning two Grand Slams and four WTA 1000 tournaments.
World No. 2 Ons Jabeur has also had a good season, winning the Madrid Open and reaching two Grand Slam finals. She will be eager to do well in the WTA Finals after suffering heartbreak in two Major title clashes.
Jessica Pegula will be among the contenders to win the tournament given how she has performed this season. The American won her first title of 2022 at the Guadalajara Open and will be in good spirits entering the tournament.
Coco Gauff and Caroline Garcia have both produced some pretty good performances this season and are capable of having a good run in Fort Worth. Maria Sakkari, Aryna Sabalenka and Daria Kasatkina are also competing at the WTA Finals and all three could give the big guns a run for their money.
Veronika Kudermetova and Madison Keys are the alternates for the tournament.
Prize Money
The total prize pool at the year-end finals is $5,000,000 and a player can win up to $1.68 million if she wins all of her matches.
Each woman will receive a participation fee of $110,000 and $110,000 for each victory during the round-robin stage. An additional $30,000 will be given for qualifying for the semifinals.
A player will be paid an extra $420,000 for winning their semifinal and the winner of the tournament will get another $820,000.
Ranking Points
A player can receive a maximum of 1500 ranking points if she wins every match at the year-end championships. 125 points will be awarded for every match played, while another 125 will be given for each victory in the round-robin stage.
A player will be awarded another 330 points if she wins her semifinal and the winner of the tournament will receive an extra 420 points.
Channel and Live streaming details for WTA Finals
USA: American viewers can watch the tournament live on Tennis Channel.
UK: British fans can catch the live action of the WTA Finals on Amazon Prime Video.
Canada: Viewers in Canada can watch the tournament live on TSN.
Australia: Fans Down Under can catch all the action live on beIN SPORTS.