"Road to Singapore" Begins as 2015 WTA Season Gets Underway

St. Petersburg, FLORIDA, January 5, 2015 /PRNewswire/ --

 - WTA Finals Expands to Eight Days of Competition

The Women's Tennis Association (WTA) 2015 season officially gets underway the week of January 5 with three events in three different countries in Asia-Pacific - Brisbane International in Australia, Shenzhen Open in China and ASB Classic in Auckland, New Zealand - marking the beginning of the "Road to Singapore".

     (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140811/700750 )

The 2015 edition of the WTA Road to Singapore will travel through 33 countries with 54 events and four Grand Slams, returning to the site of the highly successful BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global, staged at the Singapore Sports Hub October 23 - November 1, 2015.

Stacey Allaster, WTA Chairman & CEO commented: "Women's tennis continues to grow worldwide. From a fan point of view, an athlete point of view and a business point of view, women's tennis has never been in stronger. The 2015 season promises to be an exciting season of competition from our top iconic players who will be challenged by our talented next generation of WTA Rising Stars. On the Road to Singapore, every match matters. From the opening serve in Brisbane through the next 42 weeks, the stars of today, tomorrow and the future will compete for a spot in the prestigious WTA Finals. It is going to be an exciting and inspirational 2015 WTA season."

Current WTA World No.1 Serena Williams stated: "I am excited for the 2015 season to get started. I ended last year on a high note by lifting the Billie Jean King Trophy at the WTA Finals and I have been working hard this off-season to prepare for another season. As women's tennis continues to grow globally, I look forward to seeing all our fans on the Road to Singapore."

For the second consecutive year, the WTA Finals will be staged in Singapore as the 10-day international sport entertainment spectacle builds on the record crowds and excitement from the last year's success. The singles and doubles competition will expand from seven to eight days, with the inclusion of the WTA Legends Classic, WTA Rising Stars Invitational and WTA Future Stars competition.

Fans worldwide will be able to follow their favorite players competing on the Road to Singapore at wtatennis.com and on social media using #RoadtoSingapore.

SOURCE Women’s Tennis Association (WTA)