The “Porsche Race to Singapore” has crossed the finishing line – with Simona Halep as the victor. After amassing 6921 points, the 27-year old Romanian has won the qualification for the WTA Finals in Singapore for the second time after 2017.
She was presented with the winner’s prize, a Porsche 718 Boxster GTS. The WTA Finals, for which the season’s eight most successful players have qualified via the Porsche Race to Singapore, will be played in the Singapore Sports Hub from 21 to 28 October.
“After winning my maiden Grand Slam title at Roland Garros this year, finishing first in the “Race to Singapore” is an honour that makes me very proud,” said Simona Halep upon receiving the key for the chalk-coloured sports car. 2018 was the most successful season of her career. In addition to winning her first ever Major in Paris, she was also victorious at the Shenzhen Open and the Rogers Cup in Montreal. She reached the final at the Australian Open and then at the tournaments in Rome and Cincinnati. “Winning the “Race to Singapore” for the second year in a row is a fantastic moment for me, and I hope I can carry this good form over into the new season,” added Halep.
Porsche has been the title partner for two years now
As a part of its global partnership with the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA), Porsche has been the title partner of the “Porsche Race to Singapore” and the exclusive automotive partner of the WTA for two years now. The car maker has thus intensified its good long-standing cooperation with the body governing women’s tennis. Porsche has been the sponsor and organiser of the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix, which has been regularly voted by the players as their favourite tournament in its category, since 1978 and 2002 respectively.
“We’d like to congratulate Simona Halep on winning the “Porsche Race to Singapore” for the second time,” said Detlev von Platen, member of the Executive Board responsible for Sales and Marketing at Porsche AG. “With the 2018 Porsche Race to Singapore, we have once again succeeded in being visible throughout the year in international women’s tennis.. It is a strong sign of our bond and close cooperation with the WTA as well as the ideal complement to our national tennis activities.”
The “Porsche Race to Singapore” is the official qualification ranking for the WTA Finals. The eight most successful singles players and doubles pairings earn the right to compete at the prestigious year-end tournament that has been held in Singapore since 2014. Next year it will be played in Shenzhen, China. The best results for every player at the year’s 56 tournaments (52 WTA events plus four Grand Slams) played in 30 countries count towards the “Porsche Race to Singapore”. The player heading it at the end of the season with the most points not only secures a starting berth at the WTA finals, she is also rewarded with a sports car from the title sponsor.
