Gauff talks about the top-10 players' letter to the Grand Slams: "It's the first time we all agree on something"

Carlos Navarro | 2 Oct 2025 | 17.02

Gauff bluntly explained the ins and outs of the top-10 signed letter to the Grand Slams. Source: Getty

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Coco Gauff continues to advance in the WTA Beijing 2025, where she is undoubtedly proving to be one of the main contenders for the title. After defeating Eva Lys with less struggle than in previous rounds, the American player enters the final sprint with great confidence in her tennis, while also keeping an eye on various off-court situations.

One of these, surely the main one, revolves around the signed letter that the top-10 players, both male and female, have sent to the Grand Slams requesting improvements in several areas. Coco Gauff decided this time to put her signature on this document, joining the group of elite players seeking reforms within the tennis ecosystem. She extensively discussed the intention of this letter in a press conference, revealing ongoing conversations between the Grand Slams and the teams of the world's best players, yet expressing a preference for resolving everything privately.

- Gauff explains the content of that letter and the reasons why players are pressuring the Grand Slams

- Feelings after her victory today against Lys; also in general, regarding a tournament where she has already reached the semifinals

"Very happy to have progressed today. Eva is a great player, I think she moved really well, but I'm glad I won in straight sets. In this tournament, I'm fighting a lot, without a doubt. Against Leylah, it was the best I've played against her because she was also great; I won by a hair. The same against Belinda, in the tiebreak I got a bit lucky with a ball that hit the net cord and dropped dead on the other side. It's been a tournament of fighting, of staying in every match. Today I had to battle, but I was able to close well with my serve, which I believe is important for me in the long term."

- The famous letter that the top-10 have sent to the Slams demanding better conditions for the players: Coco's powerful reflection on the tennis ecosystem

"From a personal standpoint, when we look at the tennis ecosystem in the long term, I think it's really important. As we know, the Grand Slams generate the most wealth: when you look at the percentage of their earnings that goes into the prize money, it's not the same as in the WTA and ATP, even though the latter generate less than the Slams. Changing this is extremely important. Sometimes people only focus on the prize money, but we're not just talking about increasing it for the champion; we also want it to reach further down to players in the qualifying rounds.

We want the Slams to invest more in the circuit globally, not just in terms of prize money but also in the players' well-being, making sure it reaches those with lower rankings. The 200th or 300th player in the world struggles to make ends meet, which is not common in other sports, especially considering the earnings that tennis generates. I did this thinking about the sport in the long run; I don't know if we will reach that point while I'm still playing, but I want to leave this sport in a better health than when I arrived. All the top-10 players agree; I think it's the first time on the tour that we've managed to have the top-10, both male and female, sign something and agree on something. It's a great step. I know there are discussions. Hopefully, we can reach an agreement in the near future."

- The effort required to sign that letter and the minor issue they face after it was leaked

"We worked quietly before the letter became public, at least on the women's side, together with the Players' Council. The letter wasn't meant to be leaked, although we signed it knowing it would likely happen. I would prefer things not to be resolved in the public sphere because it's better for players not to have to respond to this. It's the reality of our world, though it's true that for every major change, sometimes public pressure is needed. The Slams have been working with us behind the scenes to find a solution, but I don't know what will happen."

- The fighting spirit and how that character complicates matters for her opponents

"I know these next two matches are only going to get tougher. Maybe that's the case, I don't know. I hope so. I think I've built a reputation for myself as a fighter, but I can't know what my opponent thinks."

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Gauff habla sobre la carta del top-10 a los Grand Slams: "Es la primera vez que estamos todos de acuerdo en algo"

Cori Gauff