Connect with us

CELEBRITY

Coco Gauff says staging WTA Finals in Saudi Arabia can help ‘open doors’

Published

on

 

Staging the WTA Finals in Saudi Arabia can help to bring change on behalf of gender equality and LGBTQ rights in the kingdom, Coco Gauff (20) said, although the former US Open champion added that she still had some reservations.

 

 

Riyadh will host the season finale – which features the top eight singles players and doubles teams – from 2024-2026, replacing last year’s host Cancun, Mexico. This year’s WTA Finals will run from November 2-9.

Coco Gauff says staging WTA Finals in Saudi Arabia can help 'open doors'

The WTA has received some criticism for the move, with greats Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova voicing their opposition.

 

 

 

“I’m obviously very aware of the situation here in Saudi. My view on it is that I do think sport can have a way to open doors to people,” Gauff told reporters on Friday.

 

 

“This is the first professional women’s tennis event held here. The WTA pledged for the next three years to help the Future Stars programme here in Saudi and introduce more Saudi women especially into the sport.

 

 

 

“I think their goal is to have a million people playing tennis here by 2030. So hopefully with that, people see us and see what we represent, and hopefully that will enact more equality.”

Saudi Arabia has invested heavily in the last few years in high-profile sporting events and professional teams from soccer to golf to Formula 1, although critics, including women’s rights groups and members of the LGBTQ community, have accused the kingdom of using its Public Investment Fund to “sportswash” its human rights record.

 

 

 

The country denies accusations of human rights abuses and says it protects its national security through its laws.

“I would be lying to you if I said I had no reservations. You guys know who I am and the things I speak about. I was pretty much on every player call I could make with WTA,” Gauff said.

 

 

 

“One of the things I said: ‘If we come here, we can’t just come here and play our tournament and leave. We have to have a real programme, a real plan in place’.

 

 

 

“We spoke with a lot of women here in Saudi and one of them was Princess Reema Bandar Al Saud (the first female Saudi ambassador to the US)… One of the questions that I brought up was about LGBTQ issues and women’s rights issues and how we can help with that.”

 

 

 

The world number three said she wanted to see for herself if progress had been made, adding: “If I felt uncomfortable or it felt like nothing’s happening then maybe, I probably wouldn’t come back.”

Gauff plays fellow American Jessica Pegula in her opening match of the WTA Finals on Sunday.

CELEBRITY1 day ago

Royal Crisis! Princess Charlotte Sheds Tears Announcing “Sad News” After King Charles is Hospitalized: “On Behalf of My Father, I Regret to Announce the Tragic News…”

CELEBRITY1 day ago

Breaking news: Patrick Mahomes terminates his 7-year marriage to Brittany upon learning he is not the biological father of their children.

CELEBRITY1 day ago

Breaking: “Washington, D.C. – U.S. President Donald Trump has been urgently taken to”…

CELEBRITY2 days ago

1 Hour Ago – The United States Is Mourning Today As Heartbreaking News Has Just Been Reported About US former President Joe Biden

CELEBRITY2 days ago

A KING’S REGRET: A Final Confession to His Son :Lying in the hospital at the end of his life, King Charles finally dared to confess to William the truth many feared: “I’m sorry, son. I took your mother away, just because…”

CELEBRITY2 days ago

BREAKING NEWS: Taylor Swift Announces the End of Her Legendary Show, Declares: ‘I’m Moving to Canada and Will Never Return to the U.S., I Don’t Want to Breathe the Same Air as That Jerk.’.

CELEBRITY2 days ago

Queen Camilla in TURMOIL as Princess Anne REVEALS Queen’s important Message to Catherine!”

CELEBRITY2 days ago

My beloved mother, please don’t cry anymore…” Princess Charlotte hugged her mother, Kate Middleton, as the doctor announced the approaching “tragedy”: “It turns out th… See more

CELEBRITY2 days ago

BREAKING: Heart Attack Strikes E. l o.n Musk 5 Minutes Ago ,In an unexpected and alarming development, tech mogul Elon Musk reportedly suffered a heart attack just five minutes ago. According to sources close to Musk, the incident occurred at his private residence in…

CELEBRITY2 days ago

Princess Charlotte burst into tears, announcing “Today is the saddest day for my family,” as a series of tragedies unfolded, leaving the public in shock: “Sorry for keeping it hidden…”see more below

Copyright © 2024 USAenquire