Coco Gauff reveals grim conversation with her father over trip to Saudi Arabia

Kevin Palmer 01 Nov 2024 9:03 PM

Coco Gauff reacts during her match

Coco Gauff has admitted she is not comfortable playing the WTA Finals in Saudi Arabia.

In April it was confirmed the WTA’s showpiece season finale, featuring the leading eight players in the world, would move to Riyadh for three years.

Long mooted, the prospective deal had attracted criticism, notably from two of the greatest champions in women’s tennis history, Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert, who wrote an opinion piece in the Washington Post in January decrying the country’s human rights record.

But women’s tennis has followed where many other sports have led and dissenting voices were hard to find as the players addressed the media on Friday.

“I would be lying to you if I said I had no reservations,” said Gauff. “Obviously you know who I am and the things I speak about.

“First, for the LGBTQ+ community, for me it’s always a community I’m going to fight for. I have family, friends (who are) part of this community. I hear your concerns.

“I really do feel like, in order to ignite change, you have to start little by little.

“That’s how I’ve been taught growing up black in America, knowing our history. Obviously there were a lot of people opposed, against it (racial equality). Now we’re all equally living together.

“If we shied away from it then, where would we be now? The same message goes out there for women. Obviously I’m a woman. I was very concerned. My dad was very concerned with me coming here.

“I do think that sport can have a way to open doors to people. I think their goal is to have a million people playing tennis here by 2030. If you never come here, it can never end up like that. In order to want to have change, you have to see it.”

While the debate over the location of the WTA Finals will rumble on, the end-of-season event is also crucial to the outcome of the battle for the year-end No 1 ranking.

For the second year in a row, Aryne Sabalenka is trying to hold off Iga Swiatek at the top of the rankings having reclaimed top spot in unusual circumstances last month when the Pole was penalised for not meeting mandatory tournament requirements.

Last year, Swiatek swept to the top spot after demolishing the rest of the draw but this time Sabalenka has a bigger lead while her rival has not played since the US Open having taken time out to make a coaching change.

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Wim Fissette has replaced Tomasz Wiktorowski in Swiatek’s team, while Elena Rybakina announced on Friday that from next season she will be coached by former Wimbledon champion Goran Ivanisevic.

Ivanisevic is making his first foray onto the WTA Tour having parted company with Novak Djokovic earlier this season.

“I’m really looking forward to this partnership,” said Rybakina, whose previous long-term arrangement with Stefano Vukov ended in August amid much focus on the Croatian’s treatment of the former Wimbledon champion.

This will be her first tournament since following back problems, and Rybakina insisted the parting of ways with Vukov was routine, saying: “We are good with Stefano. I just wish him also all the best in his new chapter.”

Sabalenka contests the opening singles match on Saturday against Zheng Qinwen before Rybakina takes on Jasmine Paolini.

The other group features Swiatek, Gauff, Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova and Jessica Pegula.

An undefeated champion would earn a record 5.16million US dollars (approximately £4million).