Coco Gauff believes bringing the WTA Finals to Saudi Arabia can “open doorways” and encourage optimistic change for ladies within the nation, though the world quantity three admitted: “I might be mendacity to you if I mentioned I had no reservations”.
The WTA has signed a three-year cope with the Saudi Tennis Federation to stage its season finale in Riyadh, with the primary version kicking off at King Saud College Indoor Enviornment on Saturday.
The WTA has come beneath scrutiny for its resolution to go to Saudi Arabia, with critics citing the conservative kingdom’s report on freedom of expression and girls’s rights as causes in opposition to the transfer.
Gauff, 20, admits she had reservations in regards to the thought of staging the WTA Finals in Saudi Arabia and needed to see for herself what sort of progress is being made.
“Clearly I am very conscious of the scenario right here in Saudi. My view on it’s I do assume that sport can have a method to open doorways to individuals. I believe to be able to need change, you must see it. I believe sports activities for me, I might say is the simplest method to introduce that,” mentioned the American star.
“I might be mendacity to you if I mentioned I had no reservations. I used to be just about on each participant name I may make with the WTA. One of many issues I mentioned, if we come right here, we will not simply come right here and play our match and go away. We’ve got to have an actual program or actual plan in place.”
Gauff mentioned the calls included conversations with Princess Reema bint Bandar Al Saud, the Saudi Arabian ambassador to the US, through which Gauff requested questions on LGBTQ+ and girls’s rights within the nation.
“In the long term I believe it may very well be higher for everyone,” mentioned the American.
“It is a type of issues the place I wish to see it for myself, see if the change is occurring. If I felt uncomfortable or felt like nothing’s occurring, then I most likely would not come again.”
World primary Aryna Sabalenka mentioned she was “actually blissful” to be enjoying a component in bringing girls’s tennis to Saudi Arabia and hailed the nation’s efforts put into attracting prime sporting occasions.
“I have been right here in an exhibition match with Ons (Jabeur final yr) and I noticed that all the things right here is sort of chill and me, personally, I haven’t got any points enjoying right here,” mentioned the Belarusian.
“The hassle they’re placing into girls’s sport right here, it is unimaginable and I am actually impressed. I am actually blissful to be right here and to be a part of some type of historical past right here.”
WTA chief government Portia Archer defended the tour’s resolution to stage the Finals in Riyadh.
“That is our first time in Riyadh, however we have been within the Center East extra broadly for 20-plus years,” mentioned Archer, referring to the WTA tournaments held in Dubai and Doha since 2001.
“We have really by no means had any points with freedom of expression, at the very least not that I am conscious of. I do not count on that we’ll have any whereas we’re right here in Riyadh.”
When pressed to weigh in on whether or not the values of the WTA align with the host nation, Archer mentioned: “We respect the values, even when they differ from different nations that we discover ourselves in and compete in.”
