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WTA officially announces 2016 calendar

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#1 ·
WTA ANNOUNCES 2016 CALENDAR
The WTA Board of Directors has approved the 2016 WTA Calendar, which includes a record nine WTA events across the Chinese Mainland, Hong Kong and Taiwan, compared to two WTA events there in 2012.


ST. PETERSBURG, FL, USA - The WTA announced Wednesday that its Board of Directors has approved the calendar for the 2016 season. As the global leader in women's professional sport, the 2016 WTA calendar will include 56 WTA events, in addition to the Olympic Games Tennis Event in Rio de Janeiro, and four Grand Slams.

The Board approved the relocation of two International events as the Pattaya City and Baku tournaments relocate to Kaohsiung, Taiwan (Week 6, replacing Pattaya City) and Nanchang, capital city of Jiangxi province from Chinese Mainland (Week 31, replacing Baku). Host city of a WTA 125k Series event in 2014 and 2015, Nanchang will elevate its status to an International event for 2016.

"Our mission is to deliver a premier, compelling global sport entertainment experience that engages our fans around the world," said WTA Chairman & CEO, Stacey Allaster. "As the WTA expands to new markets, our goal is for fans to witness the most inspirational sport entertainment experience on Earth. Our players compete for the ultimate year-long prize, the Billie Jean King Trophy presented to the champion at the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global."

Chinese Mainland, Hong Kong and Taiwan, which are the key growth markets for WTA, will host a record nine WTA Premier and International tournaments in 2016. In comparison, there were only two WTA events - Beijing and Guangzhou - in China during the 2012 season.

2016 WTA Calendar - Nine WTA Events in Chinese Mainland, Hong Kong and Taiwan
Premier Mandatory: Beijing
Premier 5: Wuhan
WTA Elite Trophy: Zhuhai
International: Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Kaohsiung, Nanchang, Shenzhen, Tianjin

The WTA's long-term strategy of growing women's tennis in the Asia-Pacific region is built around an expansive footprint in China and the region, featuring Singapore hosting the prestigious year-end WTA Finals for a record five years from 2014 to 2018, and a newly added WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai for another record five years from 2015 to 2019.

The season-long build-up will culminate once again in Singapore for the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global from October 23 to Nov 1.

Other Highlights for the 2016 WTA Calendar:
• In 2016, Louisville, Kentucky, USA becomes host to an International level WTA event for the first time in Week 34 staged the same week as New Haven, a Premier-level event. The United States will host a total of nine events in 2016, including the US Open.
• With the Olympic Games Tennis Event set to take place in Rio de Janeiro from August 6 to 14, Stanford will move to Week 29 (week of July 18), one week after Wimbledon and will be followed by Montréal.
• After the Olympics, the US hardcourt series will resume in Cincinnati (Week 33, week of August 15).
• With an expanded and enhanced grass court season, an International event in Mallorca will debut in Week 24 (week of June 13), opposite Birmingham.
• Doha will host a Premier 5 event in Week 8 of 2016 (week of February 22). Doha and Dubai rotate years hosting the Premier 5 event.

Other calendar changes approved:
• Effective in 2015, the International event in Osaka will be relocated to Tokyo and will continue to be held the week immediately after the US Open.

Source: http://www.wtatennis.com/news/article/4783611/title/wta-announces-2016-calendar

Direct link to new calendar: http://www.wtatennis.com/SEWTATour-Archive/Archive/AboutTheTour/TourCalendar_2016.pdf
 
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#49 ·
Nanchang is a nice city,only thing is it will be extremely hot in August.Nanchang was once ranked top4 of the hottest cities in china:tape:

Why don't they choose Qingdao,Jinan or Yantai in Shandong province?Where is the Shandong provincial government??:weirdo:We deserve a WTA event here,even Nanchang has one:rolleyes:
 
#50 ·
Rio (on clay) during the same week as Dubai and Acapulco fighting for relevancy against Doha.

Aside from Monterrey, the calendar spots for the International tournaments between Melbourne and Indian Wells are comical. You almost have to wonder if the WTA want them to succeed or not.
 
#55 ·
it's for lower level players to get points and not compete ion the same market. to me the biggest thing both tours need to do along with the itf is to combine or buy the tennis channel and have all their events televised. they could use this money to invest into player development.
 
#57 · (Edited)
Well well well, $tacey's becoming more and more ridiculous.

Before talking about the Chinese tournaments... Consecutive 2 weeks in Tokyo? R u kidding? This is not ITF, and Tokyo is not Antalya:eek:

$tacey's not doing any good to tennis. Even as a Chinese, I don't think this benefits Chinese tennis either.

Beijing & Guangzhou are good. It's vacation time in China when China Open is held (BUT THIS IS NOT THE CASE IN 2016!!!) so almost all tennis fans in China would come here (I'm a Beijinger). Great timing for us, and players feel our supports. As for Guangzhou, it's a quite good chance for Chinese Golden Flowers to compete with higher-ranked players. Good for tennis in China, I would say.

Then Shenzhen came to the calendar. Hmm, I think its fine. There's a short New Year's break then, and the line-ups are always acceptable.

Zhuhai & Kaohsiung? Still fine and tolerable I would say, not bad for Elite Trophy to visit China, only it's bad timing for fans; and Taiwan deserves a tournament with some Su-Weis.

As for others?!

Starting with Wuhan?!
I know it's Li Na's hometown, but not more than that, plus Na never have the chance to play there:lol:It's always hot, local fans might not interested in any players besides Na. Hard for fans from other places to go there, not holidays for students and others' gonna work. Won't be surprised if the stands are empty (The condition's gonna be better this year, the national day vacation is Wuhan's week but not Beijing's).

Tianjin?!
Okay, it's near Beijing, MAYBE a good choice after China Open. However with 3 international events at the same time I don't see good line-ups there, many players would like to return to Linz. Same problem on timing and few tennis fans.

HK?!
I've been living in HK for almost a year now, went to a university there last fall. That weather:help:, maybe it's only comfortable for HKers:scratch:And the same time with Tianjin. What's more, I barely met any tennis fans here, most would know Federer, Sharapova or Williams, but absolutely NO ONE IN THE LINE-UPS LAST YEAR!

And lastly, $tacey, I would pretend that I never saw Nanchang in that place of the calendar.
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EDIT: and the reason I don't think this benefits Chinese tennis is that earning points that's above their ability don't helps young players...
Just like those WCs for Barty kinda destroyed her.
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EDIT: about broadcasting, I remember in 2012 or 13, cctv only bought the broadcasting right of ATP but not WTA. Can't understand that, it's Na's good time and they could've earned a lot. So it's not right to say Chinese TV stop broadcasting the tour after Na retires. They never did.
We have a tennis & golf channel, but it's always golf, except when GSs come.
 
#61 ·
Starting with Wuhan?!
I know it's Li Na's hometown, but not more than that, plus Na never have the chance to play there:lol:It's always hot, local fans might not interested in any players besides Na. Hard for fans from other places to go there, not holidays for students and others' gonna work. Won't be surprised if the stands are empty (The condition's gonna be better this year, the national day vacation is Wuhan's week but not Beijing's).
There was a $50K ITF in Wuhan just a few weeks ago, at the same tennis center as the Premier, and the attendance looked great for such a small event. The main stadium was maybe 65-75% full for the final featuring players outside top-300, and the crowd was very vocal and enthusiastic.
 
#70 ·
Rio should change its surface to hard, but it won't happen because of ATP :lol: At least move it to after Miami :shrug:

Those random Chinese tournaments :unsure: They are ideal tournaments for vultures :oh:

Antwerp need move to the end of the calendar with Linz, Luxembourg, and Moscow. Same with Katowice.

Still mess.
 
#73 ·
Well, to be honest Hong Kong and Kaohsiung are not part of China, at least completely different culture in terms of everything and atmosphre. I know it's hard to understand as Westerners, but politically and culturly tey are not the similar to Hong Kong at all. So actually China has 7 tournaments, which isnt really that much when compared to 8 in the US.

I wonder the location of the tournaments should be considered for what? The convience for WTA players? Specatators? Weather or what.
 
#101 ·
Well, to be honest Hong Kong and Kaohsiung are not part of China, at least completely different culture in terms of everything and atmosphre. I know it's hard to understand as Westerners, but politically and culturly tey are not the similar to Hong Kong at all. So actually China has 7 tournaments, which isnt really that much when compared to 8 in the US.

I wonder the location of the tournaments should be considered for what? The convience for WTA players? Specatators? Weather or what.
Most of the women don't wanna play in Asia, they'd rather be in America or Europe.
 
#74 ·
^ I have no problem with tournaments in China but obviously a lot of them are not in good place of calendar. Not only for players from USA or Europe but even from China.

Probably there should be real mini tour in China or in whole Asia just before AO and between AO and IW. Before AO there is no problem to have 3 tournaments per week or even 4. Everyone wants to play just before AO and most of players are not injured, tired or outform. Then another Asian tour after USOpen.

WTA should think about having good logical schedule. And not random tournaments here and there.
 
#83 ·
There always used to be Tokyo back to back after USO

Tokyo Princess Cup (Tier II) then Tokyo Japan Open (Tier III) as well as the Toray Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo after Aus Open (Tier I)
 
#84 ·
I've just checked and actually the Tokyo Princess Cup and the Tokyo Japan Open were on back-to-back weeks only in 2000, otherwise I think there was always an additional week between two tournaments organized in Tokyo in September (2001-2002, 2008). But it's still a lot.

Anyway I didn't remember there were so many tournaments in Tokyo each year in the 90's :eek: One in January, one in April, one in September, indeed.
 
#87 ·
I know but it's not the population itself that explains why there were 3 tournaments a year in the same city, it just doesn't happen anywhere else nowadays including in other greatly inhabited urban areas... And holding two events in the same city on consecutive weeks is even more rare I guess :shrug:
 
#90 ·
WTA Tour evolution

1975 47 events
23 in North America
14 in Europe
6 in Australia
3 in Asia (Japan only)
1 in South Africa

1985 52 events
33 in North America
10 in Europe
5 in Australia
3 in Asia (Japan only)
1 in South America

1995 47 events
20 in Europe
16 in North America
8 in Asia
3 in Australia-New Zealand

2005 53 events
22 in Europe
15 in North America
9 in Asia
5 in Australia-New Zealand
2 in South America

2016 56 events
19 in Europe
14 in Asia
10 in North America
5 in South America
4 in Australia-New Zealand
3 in the Middle East
1 in Africa
 
#94 ·
WTA Tour evolution

2016 56 events
19 in Europe
14 in Asia
10 in North America
5 in South America
4 in Australia-New Zealand
3 in the Middle East
1 in Africa
Not sure why Middle East is separated from the rest of Asia :unsure:

Asia having more tournaments than whole America and Africa :tape: :lol: :help: :spit: :weirdo:
 
#93 ·
Stacey :hearts:

China :inlove: Asia :inlove:

My dear Golden Flowers approve guys! :hearts:
 
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#100 ·
I don't think anyone doubts that China is where the future is for businesses. The population demands it. However, Asian events might be successful but the atmosphere and the empty stands say enough. Is that really the product women's tennis wants to put forward? As long as the bills are being paid in the current day ...
 
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