WTA Elite Trophy

The WTA Elite Trophy is a second-tier WTA year-end hard-court tennis tournament that last took place in Zhuhai, China.

Date:	24 - 29 October
Category:	Finals
Surface:	Hard
Location:	Zhuhai, China
Venue:	Hengqin Tennis Center
Players:	12 players (2023 WTA Elite Trophy Entry List)
Prize Money:	$2,600,000
Points:	700 for undefeated champion
Draw:	2023 WTA Elite Trophy Draw

Hengqin Tennis Center last hosted the WTA Elite Trophy. Sometimes, it is called the Huafa Technology WTA Elite Trophy due to sponsorship commitments. The first WTA Elite Trophy took place in 2015 as a successor event to a WTA Tournament of Champions.

It was held every season until 2020, when it paused for three years due to the COVID-19 pandemic and later from the suspension of tournaments in China. However, the competition returned for its sixth edition in 2023.

It is one of the season-ending tournaments of a different format compared to other traditional WTA events. A singles and doubles draw takes place at the tournament. In the singles, the players who finish between 9th and 19th in the official WTA rankings enter the draw. One additional wildcard player also participates in the singles competition.

The event starts with a round-robin of four groups, with each including three players. Then, the winners of each progress to the semi-final stage and the final, if successful. However, the doubles competition is different as six teams of two players compete in two groups of three.

The winners of the two groups then go straight to the final for a straight match to determine the winner. As the WTA Elite Trophy features some of the best female players of the season, plenty of high-profile stars have won the event in previous years.

In 2015, seven-time Grand Slam winner Venus Williams won the first WTA Elite Trophy after defeating Czech opponent Karolina Pliskova in the final. Other former Grand Slam winners who have won this WTA tournament include Petra Kvitova (2016), Ashleigh Barty (2018) and Aryna Sabalenka (2019).

In 2023, Brazilian player Beatriz Haddad Maia lifted the title after defeating Zheng Qinwen. However, Haddad Maia also became the first player to win the singles and doubles draw in the same year. She also won the doubles competition alongside her partner Veronika Kudermetova.