The WTA has hired Portia Archer as its new CEO to replace Steve Simon, who will remain in his role as WTA chairman, the association announced Wednesday.
Archer, who most recently served as chief operating officer of the NBA’s G League and previously worked at NBC Sports Group, HBO and the BBC, will begin in the position on July 29.
“The WTA is an organization I have long admired,” Archer said in a statement. “It has pioneered the growth and development of women’s professional sport around the world, and I am excited to have the opportunity to join the team as we deliver our ambitions for the Tour and write the next chapter of the WTA story.”
It has been a tumultuous stretch for the WTA. Players criticized the organization in 2023 over the lack of equal pay at certain events with their male counterparts, its late announcement of a host city for the year-end WTA Finals and the subsequent conditions at the event that was ultimately held in Cancun, Mexico. More recently, the WTA has been the target of scrutiny for its involvement with Saudi Arabia and the nation’s Public Investment Fund. The WTA Finals will be held for the next three seasons in Riyadh, and the PIF was announced as the title sponsor for the weekly rankings last month. There have also been reports of financial turmoil within the WTA and increased talks about merging commercial assets with the ATP.
Simon announced he would be stepping down from his position as CEO, but remaining as chairman, in December. In a statement at the time, the WTA said the separation of the two roles would allow Simon to focus on “governance, strategic interests of the WTA within the sport, integrity issues and the development of new markets and frontiers for the WTA.”
On Wednesday, Simon called Archer a “fantastic addition” to the organization’s leadership team.