From Coco Gauff's "End gun violence" to Victoria Azarenka standing up for abuse, 2022 has been the year of female tennis using their platform for good

2022 has been a year of controversy on the tennis tour, both for men and women. Beginning with the unfortunate case of Novak Djokovic's visa debacle in Australia and the continued impact of it right up until the very recent US Open to Wimbledon banning Russian and Belarusian players from the tournament due to the Ukraine conflict, there has been no shortage of questionable choices on all fronts.

But despite all these dissensions, there have also been moments where players have come out looking good and showcasing why they deserve to be propped up as figures of inspiration and heroes. More often than not, it has been the women who have occupied the focal point of these discussions.

Time and again, the biggest stars of the WTA tour have used their platform to stand up for themselves and other tennis players who might not have that luxury, not shying away from giving their thoughts on matters of importance their male counterparts have all but ignored.

Without further ado, here's a look at a few of the instances that showed 2022 has been the year of women tennis players making full use of their platforms:

#1 Coco Gauff writing "End gun violence" on her camera message

Following her semifinal victory over Martina Trevisan at the French Open, Coco Gauff used her camera message to raise awareness about gun violence in the United States, writing "Peace, end gun violence."

In light of the school shooting in Ulvade, Texas, the teenager decided to use her platform, remarking later that her intention was to influence leaders in office in the hope that they might do something about the issue owing to the pressure.

"It's not about writing a message just to end it, it's not going to stop on the spot, I agree," Gauff said. "But for me, it's about influencing people and influencing the leaders that are in office and leaders around the world maybe to hear that message."

Later on, Coco Gauff also raised her voice against the overturning of Roe v. Wade by in the US, joining the ranks of other tennis stars like Billie Jean King and Martina Navratilova in criticizing the decision.

#2 Daria Kasatkina coming out as gay

Very few openly gay tennis players exist on the WTA Tour, and almost none whatsoever on the ATP Tour. Homosexuality is even more foreign for a player from Russia, where deviation from heterosexuality is still seen as taboo to this day and even considered as grounds for criminal offense.

🇷🇺 Russian tennis player Daria Kasatkina has hit back at claims that she was influenced by LGBTQ+ “propaganda” weeks after coming out as gay in a video.

🗣 She received criticism in her home country, including from politicians who claimed she was trying to be “trendy”. https://t.co/aFYUXru8rZ

But Daria Kasatkina broke all those barriers this year, coming out of the closet to send shock waves across the tennis world and her home country. Having lived at odds with herself for so long, Kasatkina decided that enough was enough and took it upon herself to show fellow citizens that it was vital to be themselves, irrespective of what their government tried to regulate.

"Living in the closet is impossible. Not for the long run, no. It is too hard. It is pointless, you will be completely focussed on that until you choose to come out. Of course, it is up to you to decide how to do it and how much you tell," Daria Kasatkina said. "Living in peace with yourself is the only thing that matters, and fuck everyone else."

#3 Iga Swiatek consistently standing up for Ukraine & organizing a fundraising exhibition

Iga Swiatek leads the tennis world in raising awareness of the war on Ukraine

Russia's war on Ukraine has dominated the news this year and the ripple effects have made their way into tennis as well. Russian and Belarusian tennis players were stripped of their national flags and forced to play under a neutral flag, as well as denied entry into the 2022 Wimbledon Championships. The decision was made to ensure the Russian state didn't attempt to use sporting prowess as propaganda.

With the war still ongoing, no player has been more invested in the cause than World No. 1 Iga Swiatek, who has used her platform time and again to remind fans of the atrocities happening in Ukraine. While the rest of the tour stopped wearing their blue-and-yellow ribbons in solidarity with the country after a couple of months, the Pole continues to do so to this day.

Iga Swiatek of Poland wins the quarter-final of the @usopen while sporting the Ukrainian flag pinned to her cap! 🇵🇱🇺🇦 #USOpen #Poland #Ukraine #IgaŚwiatek https://t.co/U7QK9RdiCe

After winning the French Open earlier this year to mark her second Grand Slam title, Swiatek took the time in her victory speech to give a shoutout to the brave souls protecting Ukraine from the Russian war machinery. Most recently, in the middle of her busiest season on the WTA Tour, the 21-year-old hosted a charity event in Poland to raise funds for organizations doing relief work in Ukraine.

#4 Victoria Azarenka standing up for young tennis players at risk of coach abuse on the WTA Tour

Tennis player Fiona Ferro shocked the world recently with a startling admission, revealing that she was raped by her former coach when she was a minor. Ferro received widespread support from all quarters in light of the news, the foremost of which came from former World No. 1 Victoria Azarenka.

Azarenka not only plays decent Tennis but gave an incredible strong and necessary insight on male coaches manipulating and or abusing female players in general after the story of Fiona Ferro (who came out of being abused by a former coach)

"It happens right and left on the tour" https://t.co/V42Jp1Y95V

Azarenka revealed that the issue of coaches abusing or being inappropriate with players is very common in women's tennis. As a member of the Player Council, the Belarusian promised fans that they were doing everything in their capacity to reduce their prevalence in the sport.

"It happens right and left on the tour, which is unfortunate. Our job is to be better at safeguarding," Victoria Azarenka said. "You know, as player council, it's almost like No. 1 subject, you know, to us. Because we see those vulnerable young ladies that getting taken advantage of in different situations."