The Fort Worth Press - Gauff backs WTA Finals in Saudi Arabia despite 'reservations'

USD -
AED 3.673042
AFN 67.000368
ALL 90.550403
AMD 387.170403
ANG 1.802562
AOA 911.503981
ARS 986.022975
AUD 1.524855
AWG 1.8025
AZN 1.70397
BAM 1.799868
BBD 2.01951
BDT 119.519602
BGN 1.803659
BHD 0.376916
BIF 2897
BMD 1
BND 1.324161
BOB 6.936315
BRL 5.869904
BSD 1.000184
BTN 84.120338
BWP 13.371066
BYN 3.273087
BYR 19600
BZD 2.016087
CAD 1.39755
CDF 2887.50392
CHF 0.863851
CLF 0.034832
CLP 961.120396
CNY 7.122704
CNH 7.119295
COP 4426.48
CRC 512.884226
CUC 1
CUP 26.5
CVE 101.950394
CZK 23.388504
DJF 177.720393
DKK 6.884304
DOP 60.410393
DZD 132.663695
EGP 48.721224
ERN 15
ETB 121.050392
EUR 0.91905
FJD 2.27504
FKP 0.765169
GBP 0.773575
GEL 2.73504
GGP 0.765169
GHS 16.35039
GIP 0.765169
GMD 71.503851
GNF 8631.000355
GTQ 7.727632
GYD 209.157003
HKD 7.77855
HNL 25.050388
HRK 6.88903
HTG 131.620361
HUF 376.903831
IDR 15849
ILS 3.752525
IMP 0.765169
INR 84.13385
IQD 1310
IRR 42092.503816
ISK 137.450386
JEP 0.765169
JMD 158.535295
JOD 0.709104
JPY 153.02504
KES 129.000351
KGS 85.803799
KHR 4080.00035
KMF 453.850384
KPW 899.999774
KRW 1380.340383
KWD 0.30661
KYD 0.833487
KZT 489.135937
LAK 21925.000349
LBP 89615.643344
LKR 292.992224
LRD 191.950382
LSL 17.620381
LTL 2.95274
LVL 0.60489
LYD 4.820381
MAD 9.65038
MDL 17.902893
MGA 4615.000347
MKD 56.532191
MMK 3247.960992
MNT 3398.000028
MOP 8.012056
MRU 40.015039
MUR 45.860378
MVR 15.410378
MWK 1735.000345
MXN 20.282704
MYR 4.378504
MZN 63.910377
NAD 17.620377
NGN 1647.503725
NIO 36.750377
NOK 10.99246
NPR 134.587954
NZD 1.676727
OMR 0.383348
PAB 1.000267
PEN 3.774504
PGK 3.90775
PHP 58.365038
PKR 277.503701
PLN 4.026743
PYG 7901.457251
QAR 3.640504
RON 4.590404
RSD 108.031038
RUB 97.582135
RWF 1363
SAR 3.756336
SBD 8.319934
SCR 14.120372
SDG 601.503676
SEK 10.600645
SGD 1.326104
SHP 0.765169
SLE 22.750371
SLL 20969.496802
SOS 571.000338
SRD 34.615038
STD 20697.981008
SVC 8.750869
SYP 2512.530268
SZL 17.620369
THB 33.903649
TJS 10.631873
TMT 3.5
TND 3.094038
TOP 2.342104
TRY 34.326404
TTD 6.779864
TWD 31.937804
TZS 2695.000335
UAH 41.336603
UGX 3661.76315
UYU 41.421452
UZS 12825.000334
VEF 3622552.534434
VES 42.803201
VND 25300
VUV 118.722039
WST 2.801184
XAF 603.656225
XAG 0.029645
XAU 0.000367
XCD 2.70255
XDR 0.75176
XOF 602.503595
XPF 110.575037
YER 250.350363
ZAR 17.650245
ZMK 9001.203587
ZMW 26.82956
ZWL 321.999592
  • RBGPF

    -1.4000

    59.6

    -2.35%

  • RIO

    0.4400

    65.33

    +0.67%

  • VOD

    0.0800

    9.35

    +0.86%

  • NGG

    0.6700

    64.26

    +1.04%

  • SCS

    0.1100

    12.14

    +0.91%

  • RELX

    0.8600

    47.08

    +1.83%

  • CMSD

    0.1500

    24.81

    +0.6%

  • BCC

    1.1800

    134.21

    +0.88%

  • CMSC

    -0.0200

    24.53

    -0.08%

  • RYCEF

    0.2200

    7.08

    +3.11%

  • JRI

    -0.0300

    13.05

    -0.23%

  • BTI

    0.0900

    35.07

    +0.26%

  • AZN

    0.2700

    71.42

    +0.38%

  • GSK

    0.1200

    36.88

    +0.33%

  • BCE

    -0.1600

    32.1

    -0.5%

  • BP

    -0.1300

    29.23

    -0.44%

Gauff backs WTA Finals in Saudi Arabia despite 'reservations'
Gauff backs WTA Finals in Saudi Arabia despite 'reservations' / Photo: © AFP

Gauff backs WTA Finals in Saudi Arabia despite 'reservations'

Coco Gauff believes bringing the WTA Finals to Saudi Arabia can "open doors" and inspire positive change for women in the country, although the world number three admitted: "I'd be lying to you if I said I had no reservations".

Text size:

The WTA has signed a three-year deal with the Saudi Tennis Federation to stage its season finale in Riyadh, with the first edition kicking off at King Saud University Indoor Arena on Saturday.

The WTA has come under scrutiny for its decision to go to Saudi Arabia, with critics citing the conservative kingdom's record on freedom of expression and women's rights as reasons against the move.

Gauff, 20, admits she had reservations about the idea of staging the WTA Finals in Saudi Arabia and wanted to see for herself what kind of progress is being made.

"Obviously I'm very aware of the situation here in Saudi. My view on it is I do think that sport can have a way to open doors to people. I think in order to want change, you have to see it. I think sports for me, I would say is the easiest way to introduce that," said the American star.

"I would be lying to you if I said I had no reservations. I was pretty much on every player call I could make with the WTA. 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 program or real plan in place."

Gauff said the calls included conversations with Princess Reema bint Bandar Al Saud, the Saudi Arabian ambassador to the United States, in which Gauff asked questions about LGBTQ+ and women's rights in the country.

"In the long run I think it could be better for everybody," said the American.

"It's one of those things where I want to see it for myself, see if the change is happening. If I felt uncomfortable or felt like nothing's happening, then I probably wouldn't come back."

World number one Aryna Sabalenka said she was "really happy" to be playing a part in bringing women's tennis to Saudi Arabia and hailed the country's efforts put into attracting top sporting events.

"I've been here in an exhibition match with Ons (Jabeur last year) and I saw that everything here is quite chill and me, personally, I don't have any issues playing here," said the Belarusian.

"The effort they're putting into women's sport here, it's incredible and I'm really impressed. I'm really happy to be here and to be part of some sort of history here."

WTA chief executive Portia Archer defended the tour's decision to stage the Finals in Riyadh.

"This is our first time in Riyadh, but we've been in the Middle East more broadly for 20-plus years," said Archer, referring to the WTA tournaments held in Dubai and Doha since 2001.

"We've actually never had any issues with freedom of expression, at least not that I'm aware of. I don't expect that we'll have any while we're here in Riyadh."

When pressed to weigh in on whether the values of the WTA align with the host country, Archer said: "We respect the values, even if they differ from other countries that we find ourselves in and compete in."

M.T.Smith--TFWP