PARIS, France - Former World No.1 Lindsay Davenport will return as ambassador for the fifth and final edition of the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global, it was announced at a media breakfast at Roland Garros.

Recalling her first visit to the season-ending festival of tennis, Davenport said: "I was blown away by how amazing it was in Singapore, and how much the event has really elevated in terms of the overall tournament, how they treat the players, the facilities. Being in the arena and catching the feeling of the fans and the atmosphere, we had so much fun."

WTA Finals 2017 champion Caroline Wozniacki and runner-up Venus Williams (Getty)

The three-time major champion also gave her predictions on who she thinks could make the elite eight-woman field this year. "Gotta start with the top players - Halep and Wozniacki really set the tone in Melbourne with not only their level of play but the amazing heart and commitment they showed on court," Davenport said. 

"it was one of the most amazing Grand Slam finals I had seen in quite some time. Simona is the only player who's been in Singapore every year, and I think she has a good chance to make it in all five years. But I think you're going to see some surprise players make it - all it takes is for Serena to get on a little bit of a roll and she can pick up a lot of momentum. And I think there are a lot of great players emerging - Kasatkina and Osaka, who played so well in Indian Wells."

Andrew Georgiou, CEO of Lagardère Sports and Entertainment, also reflected on four years of successful partnership with the event. "It's always been a special finale but it's now something more, a world class event that's more than just tennis," he said.

The idea of community was at the heart of the WTA Finals, said Georgiou, highlighting that S$10 from every Racquet Club pass sold went towards the local charity SportCares, focusing on youths from vulnerable backgrounds. "Money-making seems to be the most important thing these days, but fundamentally sport is about community," said Georgiou. "The best thing about this is the community being able to attend and have a shared experience around their passion for an athlete an a sport."