The announcement marks the latest step of a gradual decrease in the mobile phone manufacturer’s involvement with the WTA. In 2005, Sony Ericsson signed a six-year deal worth US$88 million to become the title sponsor of the WTA – the largest sponsorship deal in tennis history and women's sports in general. In 2010, the company signed a two-year extension but dropped the naming rights aspect of the agreement. Sony Ericsson has stated the move to exit the sport was made as a “strategic decision based on the evolution of the business and the brand”.

The loss of Sony Ericsson is cushioned by the fact that the WTA registered a 60% increase in sponsorship revenues for 2011 in comparison to 2010 thanks to six new partners coming on board. WTA tournaments also added seven new title sponsors last year, and lost only one. According to Bloomberg, the WTA has secured $160 million in sponsorship over the past two years through deals with firms such as BNP Paribas and Rolex.

“The WTA-Sony Ericsson partnership has over the past seven years taken women's tennis to new heights of popularity and success, and broadened the audience for the sport across the globe,” said a WTA statement. “Sony Ericsson's business and brand has evolved over the past seven years, and they have decided that 2012 will be the eighth and final year of the partnership. They have been a great partner and we will miss them. We look forward to the next phase of growth with our existing and future partners.”