The WTA Finals will be held in Cancun after the Mexican venue was chosen as a safe haven amid controversy that the year-ender might be staged in cash-rich Saudi.
Tour officials announced the call on Thursday as the US Open reached a climax.
Reports circulating in recent days had suggested that accepting Middle East millions might not be the wisest choice given the Saudi human rights record and behind-the-scenes misgivings.
The event featuring the eight best players from 2023 from will run from October 29 to November 5 in the Mexican Caribbean resort.
The hurried decision comes less than two months before the start of play and also eliminated a solid multi-year bid from the Czech federation.
The WTA has been taking relentless heat ever since the suggestion surfaced that Saudi might be in the hosting mix; the country has already managed to secure the ATP’s NextGen Finals for this November
“I would like to extend my appreciation to the Cancun tournament organisers for their commitment in hosting the WTA Finals this year,” WTA boss Steve Simon said.
