WTA Finals > Coco Gauff, present in Saudi Arabia for the Women's Masters: “I would be lying if I said that I had no reservations about this country. I said that if we came here, we couldn't just play our tournament and go back. We have to have a real program in place.”

While the WTA has decided to partner with Saudi Arabia for the organization of its Women's Masters (from November 2 to 9 in Riyadh, the capital), many questions arise in terms of ethics.

Known for its very authoritarian regime and its numerous restrictions on freedom for women and homosexuals, the country on the Arabian Peninsula is regularly accused of wanting to wash its image by printing money through sport.

Questioned on this subject at a press conference, the American Coco Gauff, who has often taken strong positions, did not hide a certain restraint.

“I'd be lying if I said I didn't have any reservations. Obviously, you know who I am and what I'm talking about. I have been involved in almost every decision I have made regarding WTA players. One of the things I said was that if we came here, we couldn't just come here, play our tournament and leave. We have to have a real program or a real plan in place. We have spoken with many women here in Saudi Arabia. One of them was Princess Reema. We met with her several times to find out what the best approach would be to enter this different world that women in the United States have never known. I think for me it was important and it was one of the questions that I raised about LGBTQ issues, women's rights issues, how we can help in this area. I'm also very aware that we're not going to come here and change everything. »

Published on Friday November 1, 2024 at 5:47 p.m.