Sony Ericsson Championships Awarded to Istanbul, Turkey, for 2011-2013 in $42 million deal

Equal prize money of $4.5 million and new 10,000-seat facility to be constructed

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Andrew Walker
One Progress Plaza, Suite 1500
St. Petersburg,
(727) 871-5666
awalker@wtatour.com

07/06/07 - Wimbledon, UK – On the heels of announcing a $42 million deal that will see the 2008-2010 Sony Ericsson Championships hosted by Doha, Qatar, the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour announced today the details of the additional $42 million deal that will bring the Tour’s season-ending finale to Istanbul, Turkey for the 2011-2013 seasons. Under terms of the agreement, the Sony Ericsson Championships will feature record prize money of over $4.5 million, equal to that of the ATP’s season-ending Championships, the Tennis Masters Cup. The singles winner’s check of at least $1,485,000 represents the largest single guaranteed payout in women’s tennis today. The announcement follows an extensive and competitive global bidding process begun earlier in the year that included expressions of interest from numerous major international cities and that resulted in a four-way finalist bid runoff between Doha, Istanbul; Bangalore, India; and Monterrey, Mexico.

“Istanbul is one of the world’s great capitals, and will be a fantastic home for the Sony Ericsson Championships from 2011-2013,” said Larry Scott, CEO of the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour. “We are thrilled that our sport’s tremendous growth over the past years, coupled with the excitement surrounding our Roadmap plan, has built an unprecedented equity in our Sony Ericsson Championships. Women’s tennis is growing in popularity at an incredible pace in Turkey thanks in large part to the success of the Istanbul Cup, and we believe that bringing our season-ending finale and the world’s very best players to Turkey will significantly increase the stature of our sport in this key market and region.”

“Turkey is very proud to host the Sony Ericsson Championships from 2011-2013,” said Mehmet Atalay, General Director for Youth and Sport in Turkey. “Turkey is the home of a number of world-class sporting events, and tennis is one of the fastest growing sports. We are looking forward to showcasing the very best of women’s sport both nationally and to the world.”

“Istanbul is an incredible city that has really embraced women’s professional tennis,” said Venus Williams, five-time Grand Slam champion and winner of the inaugural 2005 Istanbul Cup. “I am really looking forward to our most prestigious event going to Istanbul and hope to be competing there when it does.”

“Istanbul is a miracle city sitting between two continents, and will be a truly special setting for the Sony Ericsson Championships,” said Coskun Erginer, Managing Director of the Istanbul Cup. “We intend to make the experience for both the fans and players truly special.”

The 2011-2013 Sony Ericsson Championships in Istanbul, Turkey will take place in a brand new world class, 10,000 seat facility to be constructed.

The city of Istanbul has and continues to host a number of premier international sporting events, including the Formula One Turkish Grand Prix, the MotoGP Grand Prix of Turkey, the FIA World Touring Car Championship, the GP2 and the Le Mans Series 1000 km races at the Istanbul Park GP Racing Circuit. The Ataturk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul was the home of the 2005 UEFA Champions League Final, and the Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium will host the 2009 UEFA Cup Final. Since 2005, Istanbul has also hosted the successful Istanbul Cup, which has featured players such as Venus Williams and Maria Sharapova.

The Sony Ericsson Championships, which features the top 8 singles players and top 4 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.

In its storied history dating back to 1972, the Sony Ericsson Championships has been held in the internationally renowned cities of New York, Munich, Los Angeles and Madrid.



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