Coco Gauff speaks out on 'LGBTQ issues, women's rights issues' in Saudi Arabia, sheds light on her 'reservations' about holding WTA Finals in Riyadh
Coco Gauff gave her thoughts on controversies surrounding Saudi Arabia's human rights record as she gears up to compete at the 2024 WTA Finals. The young American will play in the tournament for the third time in her career this year.
Ahead of her opening match at the year-end championship, Gauff was asked about Saudi Arabia's dire record on human rights and LGTBQ+ rights and stated that she had some "reservations" about coming to play there. At her pre-tournament press conference, the American expressed her desire for the WTA Finals to have a larger and long-lasting impact on Saudi society.
"I would be lying to you if I said I had no reservations. Obviously you know who I am and the things I speak about. I was pretty much on every player call I could make with 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 real plan in place," Coco Gauff said.
Gauff revealed that she and others from the WTA had a lot of conversations with women in Saudi Arabia, including Princess Reema, about supporting women and people from the LGBTQ+ community in the country. Gauff understood that changing Saudi society would be a slow process and hoped that positive things would happen sooner rather than later.
"We spoke with a lot of women here in Saudi. One of them was Princess Reema. Multiple calls with her, how the best approach would be to enter into this different place that women have never kind of, women from U.S., have never kind of been in. I think for me it was important and it was one of the questions I brought up because about LGBTQ issues, women's rights issues, how we can help with that," Coco Gauff continued.
"I'm also very aware that we're not going to come here and just change everything. That would be very naive to say. But it's a nuance kind of conversation. I think knowing from the past from my grandmother, integrating her school, people aren't going to like it, but obviously in the long run I think it could be better for everybody."
Coco Gauff drawn against Iga Swiatek, Jessica Pegula, and Barbora Krejcikova at WTA Finals 2024
Coco Gauff is seeded third at the 2024 WTA Finals and drawn in the Orange group against Iga Swiatek, Jessica Pegula, and Barbora Krejcikova. The 20-year-old reached the semifinals at the WTA Finals last year following a group stage exit in 2022. She will begin her 2024 campaign against Pegula on November 3.
Gauff and Pegula have competed against each other five times on the WTA Tour, with the latter leading 4-1 in head-to-head contests. Pegula defeated her compatriot in their most recent encounter at the 2024 Berlin Ladies Open. Interestingly, the duo clashed at the 2023 WTA Finals, and Pegula emerged victorious in straight sets.
Gauff qualified for the 2024 WTA Finals on the back of two tour-level titles. She began the year with a successful title defense in Auckland, New Zealand, and her maiden Australian Open semifinal appearance. She also reached the semifinals at Roland Garros and won her second WTA 1000 title at the China Open in Beijing.