Chen Xiaochun

654789759@qq.com

“IT has been a terrific year. The presentation of the event has been extraordinary. It has exceeded our expectations and I think the foundation has been set to take this event to a completely new height,” said Steve Simon, CEO and chairman of the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA), during an exclusive interview with the Shenzhen Daily at Shenzhen Bay Sports Center on Saturday.

Simon said that it’s of great significance for the WTA Finals to be held in Shenzhen, which is a very dynamic city.

“On one side, it shows the WTA’s commitment to China, we have created a great string of events. We have 10 events now on the Chinese mainland and now we end with our premier event of the tour here in Shenzhen. That’s very exciting,” said Simon.

“On the other side, Shenzhen is a very dynamic city. It’s now, I believe, the city with the third-largest GDP in China and is growing. Shenzhen has shown us that it is truly interested in a bigger mission, which is not only women’s tennis. The issue is it’s associated with equality and the empowerment of women,” added Simon. He noted that the athletes were amazing and were performing at the highest level during this event.

On Jan. 18, 2018, the WTA announced that the WTA Finals would be held in Shenzhen for 10 consecutive years (2019-2028). This is the highest-level individual sporting event in Shenzhen and the highest-level WTA event worldwide.