PARIS: The 2023 edition of the WTA Finals will be held in Cancun, Mexico from Oct. 29-Nov. 5 under a one-year agreement, the women’s tennis body announced on Friday, ending speculation that this year’s event could be held in Saudi Arabia. The season-ending tournament, which features the top eight singles players and doubles teams, returns to Mexico after one year, with the 2021 edition taking place in Guadalajara. “This edition of the WTA Finals will provide a fantastic experience for players and fans alike, offer a fitting finale for the 2023 WTA Tour, and enable us to continue building a strong future for women’s tennis,” said Steve Simon, WTA Chairman and CEO. After the men’s ATP Tour announced last month that the Next Gen Finals would be held in Jeddah from 2023 to 2027, social media had been awash with rumours that the WTA Finals could also be headed to Saudi Arabia. The 2021 tournament was held in Guadalajara instead of Shenzhen, China due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The tournament was set to return to Shenzhen from 2022 until 2030 but the WTA then suspended tournaments in China due to concerns over tennis player Peng Shuai.