"I'm very excited to return to the WTA Finals for the eighth time in my career," said Sharapova. "I have had great success at the WTA Finals in the past and I can't wait to get back to Singapore and compete. The fans are incredible and I am looking forward to their support."

Meanwhile, promising female Chinese players Zhu Lin, Liu Fangzhou and Yang Zhaoxuan have made the candidate list for this year's Rising Star Invitational, a four-player mini tournament held as part of the WTA year-end final festival at the same venue of Singapore Sports Hub in late October.

Four WTA Rising Stars will compete in a round robin format in Singapore, with two players from Asia-Pacific and two representing the rest of the world. Each WTA Rising Star will go head-to-head, followed by a final match between the Top 2 contenders.

The three Chinese players will compete against other young talents from neighboring countries for the two direct berths representing the Asia-Pacific area decided by a fan vote, which is open from Sept 8 to Oct 2.

Fans could visit http://www.wtafinals.com to vote for their supporting young stars.

Finalists of the Rising Star Invitational will not only compete alongside with the world's top 8 stars, but also participate in clinics and community outreach programs throughout the Finals carnival.

Staged at the Singapore Sports Hub from Oct 23 - Nov 1 in partnership with World Sport Group (WSG), Singapore Tourism Board and Sport Singapore, the 2015 WTA Finals features the top 8 singles players competing for one of the most prestigious trophies in women's tennis, the Billie Jean King Trophy, while the top 8 doubles teams will compete for the Martina Navratilova WTA Finals Doubles Trophy. With a record $7 million in prize money on the line, the round-robin singles competition will be the highlight of a 10-day tennis festival that will also include the WTA Legends Classic, WTA Rising Stars Invitational and a WTA Future Stars event.

sunxiaochen@chinadaily.com.cn