Samba beat returns as Sao Paulo ends 25-year WTA exile

Brazil's long women's tennis drought will end this September when Sao Paulo hosts a WTA tournament for the first time since the millennium, as the women's tour announced the city's return after a 25-year absence.

The WTA 250 SP Open, scheduled for the week of September 8, replaces Tunisia's Jasmin Open in Monastir and will feature a 32-player singles draw and 16-team doubles competition on outdoor hard courts.

Women's tennis fans in Brazil's largest city have waited since 2000 for the tour's return, when Hungary's Rita Kuti-Kis claimed the singles crown at the Brasil Open while Argentina's Laura Montalvo and Paola Suarez captured the doubles title.

The South American addition comes during a vibrant 2025 season that has already produced 15 different singles champions across WTA 250, 500 and 1000 events, highlighted by Russian teenager Mirra Andreeva becoming the youngest-ever WTA 1000 tournament winner.

This competitive drama, coupled with the WTA's recent brand refresh, has sparked significant audience growth, with social media followers increasing 25 per cent year-on-year through March and video views surging 163 per cent in the first quarter, the WTA said.