North Carolina has committed $14.4 million to help secure the Women’s Tennis Association Finals in Charlotte in 2027, the largest award the state has posted through its Major Events, Games, and Attractions Fund.

The North Carolina Department of Commerce’s award list schedules the tournament for November 10-14, 2027, at Spectrum Center. The agency’s page lists no other 2027 award and shows the WTA grant nearly matching the $16.3 million committed across 11 events in all of 2026.

The WTA plans to stage its season-ending championship in Charlotte for at least three years beginning in 2027. The event features the season’s top eight singles players and doubles teams, and a fan festival is planned at the nearby convention center, Reuters reported. WTA Chair Valerie Camillo said the tour will operate the event through a public-private partnership involving the city, county, state and local businesses.

The state money is structured as performance-based reimbursement rather than an unconditional payment. Commerce Secretary Lee Lilley said organizers must spend at least $12 million in North Carolina in each of the three years to receive up to $4.8 million annually, according to Axios Charlotte. The $14.4 million is for the Finals, not for the WTA headquarters that the organization also plans to establish in Charlotte.

North Carolina’s authorizing law requires Commerce to determine that an event’s economic activity justifies the state contribution, that competing out-of-state sites were considered, and that the grant is necessary to attract or retain the event. The statute also requires expected benefits through employment, tourism promotion and a stronger state economy.

The fund is financed with revenue from North Carolina’s tax on sports wagering. Its administrative guidelines limit grants to qualifying expenses incurred in connection with a major event and require access to records needed to confirm compliance. Agreements are also supposed to include provisions protecting the state’s interest in the money.

The WTA award represents a sharp increase in the scale of the program. Commerce lists the previous largest individual grant as roughly $3.17 million for the 2026 Biltmore Championship golf tournament near Asheville. Other 2026 commitments included about $2.25 million for NASCAR at Rockingham, $2.03 million for the MLS All-Star Game in Charlotte and $1.47 million for The Soccer Tournament in Cary.

The expansion is also visible year over year. Commerce’s public ledger lists only two supported events in 2025, totaling $3.675 million. By comparison, the single 2027 WTA commitment is almost four times that first-year total, underscoring how quickly the state’s sports-event incentive program has grown.

The commitment does not resolve every part of Charlotte’s longer-term tennis plan. Local organizers have discussed adding a WTA 500 tournament after the Finals arrangement, but Charlotte Sports Foundation officials said that would require a first-class tennis facility. The state’s MEGA grant is tied to the Finals and its qualifying expenses, not construction of a future venue.