For the first time, Texas is hosting the WTA Finals. The tennis tournament began on October 31 and will last until November 7 at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth.
The competition, run by the Women’s Tennis Association, showcases the best tennis players from around the world. Eight doubles teams and eight singles players are competing in the 2022 event, according to the Dickies Arena website.
Singles players are Iga Swiatek, Ons Jabeur, Jessica Pegula, Coco Gauff, Maria Sakkari, Caroline Garcia, Aryna Sabalenka, and Daria Kasatkina. The doubles teams include Barbora Krejcikova & Katerina Siniakova, Garbriela Dabrowski & Giuliana Olmos, Coco Gauff & Jessica Pegula, Veronika Kudermetova & Elise Mertens, Lyudmyla Kichenok & Jelena Ostapenko, Yifan Xu & ZhaoxuanYang, Anna Danilina & Beatriz Haddad Maia, and Desirae Krawcyk & Demi Schuurs.
Jason Sands, the executive director of the Fort Worth Sports Commission, told NBC 5 that the city’s stadium has “a great track record” hosting a number of top events since its opening in 2019.
The arena has hosted the USA Gymnastics’ U.S. Championships, the AAC Men’s and Women’s Basketball Conference Championships, the NCAA Women’s Gymnastics Championships, the Professional Bull Riders’ World Championships, and more.
“We are building a reputation, and the word is getting out that Fort Worth is a world-class sports destination,” Sands added.
Several major concerts have also been thrown in Dickies Arena over the years, NBC 5 reported.
The WTA Finals currently underway in Fort Worth also marks the first time the competition has been held in the U.S. since 2005.
Sports journalist Blair Henley, who is also a spokesperson for the WTA sporting event, shared her excitement that Fort Worth will be given international attention.
“I love the fact, especially as someone who lives in Fort Worth, that we are going to have international eyes on our city. DFW has an incredible tennis community. I am hoping they all show up and get to enjoy this world-class tennis,” Henley told NBC 5.
The tennis matches for the WTA Finals are being broadcast to an estimated 900 million people across 160 countries.
Aryna Sabalenka won during the WTA Finals’ opening night, the WTA Tennis website shared on October 31. Sabalenka, the No.7 seed, won against Ons Jabeur, the No.2 seed. After the win, Sabalenka said that she was spending the event trying her best and enjoying the game.
“I’m just trying to enjoy every second being here, and I’m just trying to do my best and see what the last week of the season can bring,” she said. “I was just like, ‘Keep trying, keep fighting, and make sure that if she wants to win this match, she has to do something great, not like an easy win.’ And I think that’s why I put a little bit more pressure on her and in the key moments, I was able to win it.”
This is Sabalenka’s second WTA Finals appearance. The last day of the sporting event is November 7.
