NBA G League’s Portia Archer New CEO of Women’s Tennis Association

As former COO of the G League, Archer brings years of experience in positions at various big-name media companies, including the NBC Sports Group, HBO, and the BBC

The Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) has officially appointed Portia Archer as CEO. The former NBA G League executive will replace Steve Simon, who will continue as WTA’s chairman. Archer is set to begin July 29.

Simon called Archer a “fantastic addition” to the WTA leadership team.

As chief operating officer of the G League, Archer brings years of experience in positions at various big-name media companies, including the NBC Sports Group, HBO, as well as the BBC, ESPN reports.

“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.”

In 2023, the WTA faced criticism from players over the lack of equal pay at certain events where their male counterparts received higher compensation for the same work. The association also faced backlash over the late announcement of the host city for the 2023 year-end WTA finals as well as the conditions at of that event, which was held in Cancun, Mexico.

In April 2024, the WTA was scrutinized for its involvement with Saudi Arabia and the nation’s Public Investment Fund. For the next three seasons, the finals will be held in Riyadh, with the PIF serving as the title sponsor for weekly rankings.

Other reports say there has been financial turmoil in the organization, along with increased conversations around merging commercial assets with the Association of Tennis Professionals.

Simon stepped down as CEO while continuing to serve as WTA chairman in December 2023. In a statement at the time, Simon said the separation of the two roles would allow him to focus on “governance, the strategic interest of the WTA within the sport, integrity issues and the development of new markets and frontiers for the WTA.”