L.A. Nets Multiyear Accord

For at least three years, possibly four, the season-ending WTA championships will be held at Staples Center, and then could potentially move to Europe, said Kevin Wulff, the WTA’s chief executive.

Wulff said Saturday that the WTA has a seven-year agreement with rights holder Octagon and Anschutz Entertainment Group. The $3-million women’s tennis event starts the week of Nov. 4, flipping spots with the Fed Cup final, which will now be the week of Oct. 28.

“We want to develop the event in L.A., to develop sponsorship support,” he said from Miami. “We also have an agreement we would move the event to Europe. It would be great if we could move to an AEG venue, but we would also look outside an AEG venue.”

This possibility helped garner support from European tournament directors. After the U.S. Open, a big part of the women’s tour is indoors at venues throughout Europe. The WTA’s board of directors voted Friday to move the championships from Munich, Germany, to Los Angeles.

Octagon President Phil de Picciotto said the move after three or four years in Los Angeles was not a foregone conclusion, saying it was “likely, but not certain.” Some of the details and contract language was still being worked out.

Wulff also said that the WTA has started talks with the ATP about eventually combining their season-ending championships. The men’s tour had its finale in Sydney, Australia, last year and it is in Shanghai in November.

“We’ve had very preliminary discussions,” Wulff said. “If it’s good for tennis, I think we should continue the discussions. I think we need to understand some of the financial ramifications of a combined championships and some of those challenges.”

Immediately, however, attention turns to the women’s championships, which will be played in Southern California for the first time.

“We’re going to play a more active role, and all of us are working together to build this into the crown jewel that it should be,” Wulff said. “There’s been some good things in the past. We can ratchet it up several levels.”

The board vote was a positive referendum on Wulff’s vision. The new chief executive, who started in January, said players were equally enthusiastic, giving him and Josh Ripple, the chief operating officer, high-fives in the lounge at the tournament in Miami.

“I got a phone call from Martina [Hingis] a few minutes ago, she picked it up on the Web site and the Internet and just was excited, bubbly, and called to congratulate us, unsolicited,” Wulff said.

Wulff confirmed that Los Angeles is a candidate for the relocation of WTA headquarters, and a decision should come within 30 to 45 days. He said there are two to three cities in contention. Another is believed to be Atlanta.