Coco Gauff Gives Thoughtful Response Over Saudi Arabian Sports Laundry Issues Ahead Of WTA Finals | Tennis | Sport

On By Littum

Coco Gauff has served up a thoughtful response when asked about sports laundry issues ahead of the WTA Finals to be held in Saudi Arabia.

The Middle Eastern nation has increased its influence over several sports in recent years, including football, boxing and tennis.

Six of the ATP’s biggest and best players recently played a lucrative exhibition tournament in Saudi Arabia, but it’s the WTA Finals that have drawn the most criticism.

The showpiece event at the end of the women’s tennis season will be held in Riyadh, where the action gets underway tomorrow.

But the build-up to the final has been overshadowed by debates surrounding Saudi Arabia’s human rights record.

Current world No.1 Aryna Sabalenka admitted she has ‘no problem playing in Saudi Arabia’ and claimed it is ‘essential’ that all corners of the tennis world get the chance to enjoy the game before posing with a Saudi delegate to help promote the country’s 2034 soccer World Cup bid.

However, 2023 US Open winner Gauff has admitted she has had “reservations” about competing and said the WTA needs to have a “proper program in place” to ensure changes are made.

When asked if she was worried about competing in Saudi Arabia, she replied: “No, I’d be lying to you if I said I didn’t have any reservations. Of course you know who I am and they things I’m talking about.

“I was on pretty much every player call I could make with the WTA. One of the things I said if we come here, we can’t just come here and play our tournament and leave. Like we have to have a real program or a real plan in place.

“We talked to a lot of women here in Saudi. One of them was Princess Reema. Several calls with her, how the best approach would be to come into this different place that women have never been, women from the United States, have never been in.

On how tennis can help implement change, the 20-year-old added: “I think it was important to me and it was one of the issues that I brought up because on LGBTQ issues, issues of women’s rights , how we can help with that.

“I’m also very aware that we don’t come here and just change everything… But it’s a nuanced kind of conversation.

“I think people will not like it from the past from my grandmother, to integrate her school, but of course I think in the long run it could be better for everyone.”