09/16/2026
STATEMENT FROM MALCOLM GRAHAM
Charlotte City Council Member, District 2
For Immediate Release
Charlotte Just Scored a Major Win for Tennis — and for Our City
I am absolutely thrilled to welcome the Women's Tennis Association to Charlotte — and I could not be more proud of the role I played in helping make this happen.
As a former college tennis player, the founder of the 8th Annual Charlotte Amateur Tennis Championship, and someone who has spent years promoting tennis in this community — this announcement is deeply personal to me. I have always believed that Charlotte deserved to be on the world stage of tennis. Today, the world agrees.
The WTA moving its corporate headquarters to Charlotte and hosting the WTA Finals at Spectrum Center from 2027 to 2029 is a transformational moment for our city. This brings world-class athletes, global visibility, significant economic impact, and thousands of jobs to Charlotte. And it sends a powerful message — Charlotte is not just a great city. It is a world-class city.
I am particularly proud because this win did not happen overnight. It happened because people in this community — including those of us who have been pushing tennis forward at every level, from kids clinics to amateur championships to conversations in city hall — refused to stop believing that Charlotte deserved this.
To every young tennis player in Charlotte — from the kids at our clinics to the junior competitors at Marion Diehl — this is for you. The greatest players in the world are coming to your city. Let that inspire you.
Charlotte — we are better together. And today, the whole world is watching. 🎾🏆
Malcolm Graham is a former college tennis player, Host and Founder of the Charlotte Amateur Tennis Championship, and Charlotte City Council Member for District 2.
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The official campaign website for Councilman Malcolm Graham. Proven leadership for a safe, affordable, and connected Charlotte.
