The announcement follows an extensive and competitive global bidding process begun earlier this year that included expressions of interest from numerous major international cities in hosting the richest and most prestigious event on the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour. The winning city is expected to be announced following the Tour’s Board meetings during Wimbledon later this month.
The Sony Ericsson Championships, which features the top eight singles players and top four doubles teams, has become one of the most coveted sporting events in the world, which as part of the Tour’s strategy has been showcased in different key markets around the globe in world class venues. Over the course of the past years, with the addition of Sony Ericsson as title sponsor and an incredibly successful inaugural year in Madrid, the event has reached new levels of popularity, prestige and global exposure.
“We are thrilled with the level of global interest in hosting the 2008 Sony Ericsson Championships,” said Sony Ericsson WTA Tour CEO Larry Scott. “The incredible popularity of women’s tennis around the world, and the equity that has been built in our season-ending crown jewel event, is evidenced by the strength of the bids that each of Bangalore, Doha, Istanbul and Monterrey have put forward. We are thrilled that three different continents are represented among the finalists.”
Added Scott: “Madrid has done a tremendous job in making the Sony Ericsson Championships better than ever, and with the continued support of title sponsor Sony Ericsson, we are confident that our season-ending event will continue to spur global excitement and interest in our sport.”
In its storied history, the Sony Ericsson Championships has been held in internationally renowned cities New York, Munich, Los Angeles and Madrid. Madrid will be the home of one of the Tour’s four “crown-jewel” events under its Roadmap plans beginning in 2009. In Madrid’s first year hosting the Championships in 2006, close to 60,000 spectators attended the Tour’s season-ending event, showcasing women’s tennis at its very best. Remarkable tournament promotion, and sponsor, fan and City of Madrid support, helped solidify Madrid as the Tour’s choice to again host the Sony Ericsson Championships in 2007.
Last year’s move to a major European market in Madrid represented another upward turn for the storied Championships, which showed significant increases in attendance and fan interest during its tenure in Los Angeles and now is buoyed by the backing of Sony Ericsson, which is driving women’s tennis toward innovative horizons in terms of cutting-edge technology, music, fashion and design since signing a landmark global title sponsorship with the Tour in January 2005.
