Gauff speaks out about playing in Saudi Arabia: "I hope we can create more equality"

Coco Gauff has always been a person with maturity beyond her years. The American has championed multiple social causes, especially in the fight for racial equality in the United States, and her press conference before debuting at the WTA Finals 2024 revolved mainly around the presence of women's tennis in a country like Saudi Arabia, with a questionable track record on human rights. Coco didn't hold back, also mentioning a small technical change in her game and even discussing the upcoming U.S. elections.

- On the social situation in Saudi Arabia regarding equality rights for women and the LGBTQ+ community and what the presence of the WTA there can generate

"I am fully aware of the situation we have here. My vision is that sport can open doors for people. If you want change, you must see it. Sports are the simplest way to introduce it. I know they have started bringing more men's sports here, with golf and tennis, and now this is the first professional women's tournament being held here. I hope that with the arrival of the WTA and the fact that over the next three years a program will be funded for future stars, more Saudi women will engage in this sport. I think their goal is to have a million people playing tennis by 2030. Hopefully, with that, people will see what we represent and greater equality will be generated. If you don't come here, that will never happen."

- Did you have doubts about coming to Saudi Arabia?

"I would be lying if I told you I didn't have doubts. You know who I am and the things I talk about. I was in all the calls I could with the WTA. One thing I told them is that if we were coming here, it wouldn't just be to play the tournament and leave; we wanted to see a plan in action, a real plan. We have spoken with many Saudi women. One of them was Princess Reema. We have been on several calls with her, asking her about the best way to approach this situation, a place where an American woman has rarely been. It was important for me, I was concerned about how we could help. I am also aware that we are not going to come here and change everything. That would be naive, but this conversation has nuances, I believe in the long run it is best for everyone."

- A message to women and the LGBTQ+ community who may feel uncomfortable with the fact that this tournament is taking place in a country like Saudi Arabia

"Firstly, I address the LGBTQ+ community, a community I will always fight for. I have family and friends who are part of this community. I see you and I hear you. I hear your doubts. I truly believe that if you want to make a change, it has to start slowly. That's how I've been taught, being a black person in the United States and knowing our history. Many people were against that equality, and now we all live in it. If we had stayed away from that equality, where would we be now? The same message goes for women. I am a woman, I had my doubts, my father had many doubts about coming here. I wanted to see for myself if there is change here, I wanted to see if I felt uncomfortable because if I did, I probably wouldn't come back. After a week here, I feel they are progressing and moving forward. That's what the people I've talked to say. I can only trust what they tell me, I don't live here, but I have to rely on what the people who live here tell me."

- A technical change in the serve that you don't want to talk too much about

"I don't want to reveal all my secrets, but I have made a change in the grip, especially on the serve. We are working on it. I have always had a decent serve, a good service, but I believe it was necessary to make it more consistent. It's not easy because you keep playing matches and everything feels new, but when you make these changes, you have to think long term. I think it's the right decision. I need more time with it, but I have spent two weeks working with this new grip. We'll see how it works here."

- A message to Americans before the elections this weekend

"The elections are something that is on my mind. I have already voted. I have posted content encouraging people to vote. It's a challenging time for my country, a crucial time. All I can do is encourage people to vote, especially the young ones, to vote and use their voice. In my generation, many people are not aware of the power of the vote. I can only hope that my small message resonates with people. I don't think it will affect me while I'm playing, it won't affect me, but November 5th will be a day when I will be anxious."

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Gauff se moja sobre jugar en Arabia Saudí: "Espero que podamos generar más igualdad"