The WTA Tour has announced a long-term partnership with Mercedes-Benz, believed to be worth £375m ($500m). It comes just days after world No. 3 Coco Gauff signed her own agreement to become a global brand ambassador for the German automaker.
The deal – which will see Mercedes-Benz become the WTA’s Premier Partner and Exclusive Automobile Partner from 2026 – was announced in a presentation on Wednesday, with Billie Jean King and Roger Federer present at the Mercedes-Benz museum in Stuttgart, while Gauff joined via video call. Retired WTA star Andrea Petkovic hosted the briefing, with Mathias Geisen and Christina Schenck from Mercedes-Benz present alongside WTA Ventures CEO Marina Storti. WTA Chair Valerie Camillo was also in attendance.
As reported by City AM, the partnership is expected to run for a decade, with a six-year break clause, and is worth £37.5m ($50m) per year. The WTA’s previous partnership with medical technology company Hologic, which has been replaced by the Mercedes-Benz deal, was said to be worth £15m ($20m) a year.
Speaking via video link during Wednesday’s presentation, new brand ambassador Gauff said: “The partnership with Mercedes-Benz feels super special to me, and I would like to thank you guys for supporting women’s tennis and their ambitions. I’m super excited for the next few years, breaking boundaries and pushing our sport in a great direction.
“I think it’s so cool and an important partnership for our sport. To see how far our sport has come to have a partnership with Mercedes-Benz is super special and I think Mercedes-Benz and WTA partnering together are proving that the dreams of young girls in sports are worth investing in, and I think for a long time, women’s sports were maybe pushed to the side or maybe not seen in the way as our male counterparts.
“But for Mercedes-Benz to do this and also, not only invest in our sport, but invest in someone like me, a woman of colour, is super inspiring and I’m looking forward to this partnership with them through the WTA and also with me individually.”
Billie Jean King, one of the ‘Original Nine’ who founded the WTA Tour we see today, told those in attendance: “I think what we stood for, when I founded the WTA, the dream was that any girl born in this world, if she were good enough, would have a place to compete, also that she would be appreciated for her accomplishments, not only her looks.
“And the third one that we talked about and had a dream, that they would be able to play professional tennis – they would have a place to compete and be able to make a living.”
Federer, who has been a Mercedes-Benz ambassador for almost 20 years, also attended the launch in Stuttgart. “I had been on the tour for so long and Billie, everything you’ve done has resonated in a major way for me. As you know, I love the past of tennis, I love who has paved the way for me personally, for us in general,” he said.
“My wife used to be on tour, so when I got the call and they asked me, ‘Would you maybe come?’ I was like, ‘I’m in, I’m coming’. Because this is such a, maybe a pivotal moment, and important moment, in the WTA history, to sign long-term deals is not something that always comes around easily, especially not with incredible brands like Mercedes-Benz that I’ve had the chance and the luck to represent for a very long time as well.”
News of the deal comes weeks after Elena Rybakina earned the biggest prize in women’s sports history at the WTA Finals in Riyadh, winning £4m ($5.235m) for going undefeated and claiming the title.
Mercedes-Benz will be present at WTA 1000, 500 and 250 tournaments from next year, and aims to create unique experiences for players, fans, and guests. The deal will also help the women’s tour achieve their goal of equal prize money at joint ATP-WTA events by 2027, and all events by 2033.
Storti, the CEO of WTA Ventures, said: “We are truly excited to welcome Mercedes-Benz as the Premier Partner of the WTA Tour. This long-term partnership represents a shared vision and a powerful commitment to the future of women’s tennis, and we look forward to working together to grow the sport.”