RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA – NOVEMBER 09: Coco Gauff of the United States celebrates her win against Qinwen Zheng of China during the Singles Final at King Saud University Indoor Arena of the WTA Finals Riyadh as part of the Hologic WTA Tour 2024 on November 09, 2024 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images for WTA)
Getty Images for WTA
With the WTA “close to finalizing” a multiyear deal with Mercedes-Benz to be the organization’s “new premier partner beginning in 2026,” one industry expert calls it an “ideal strategic fit.”
“There has never been a better time to invest in women’s professional sports,” Anne Worcester, the former WTA CEO (1994-98), said via text. “Partnering with the WTA makes perfect sense for a global luxury brand. The WTA’s 50+ tournaments across six continents deliver unmatched international media reach and a highly desirable 50% male/50% female affluent audience. For a brand like Mercedes-Benz, that combination of global scale and premium audience is an ideal strategic fit.”
After her career with the WTA, Worcester was the Tournament Director of the Pilot Pen tennis tournament at Yale, a WTA and ATP event, when Mercedes-Benz was a major sponsor of the ATP.
“Their strategic plans and on-site activations were second to none,” she said. “They truly know how to leverage a global sponsorship.”
ESPN”s Patrick McEnroe added via text: “This is tremendous news for women’s sports….and proves yet again that tennis is globally red-hot.”
HARD COURT first reported the Mercedes-Benz deal on Monday, saying it “is expected to be the largest sponsorship in women’s sports history” and includes “net sponsor exclusivity across all WTA tournaments but not title sponsorship rights in the true sense of the word.”
The WTA did not immediately respond for comment.
Via HARD COURT sources, the report says Mercedes will also “supply vehicles for WTA events” and is “expected to sign several WTA players to individual endorsement deals.”
Per HARD COURT, Mercedes-Benz “replaces the medical device and diagnostics company Hologic,” which has been the WTA’s title sponsor since 2022 and reportedly paid $18M-$20M per year.
The new deal, which has reportedly been in the works for some time, is expected to be announced shortly.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/adamzagoria/2025/12/09/mercedes-benz-partnership-with-wta-is-ideal-strategic-fit/
