Over the past three decades, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has been steadily and rapidly expanding its influence across various professional sports, including F1 racing, soccer, basketball, WWE, and most notably, golf through the LIV tour. The latest addition to this sports empire is professional tennis, with the WTA Finals recently concluding in Riyadh. In 2023, as the Kingdom lobbied intensely to host the WTA's year-end finals, a rift emerged among the sport's veterans, with Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova on one side and Billie Jean King on the other.

In late 2023, just before the WTA confirmed Riyadh as the host for the 2024 WTA Finals, Evert and Navratilova penned a letter to the WTA expressing their profound concerns. Nearly a year later, Navratilova remained steadfast in her stance, stating in the New York Times, “We lost our moral high ground when the women decided to go there. You have to show me some progress first. Women have to be equal citizens under the law. Otherwise, we might as well play in North Korea.”

King, on the other hand, advocated for dialogue and engagement as the means to drive change. In an interview with the National, she argued, “How are we going to change things if we don’t engage? It’s hard, it’s very hard. So when we go to a country and play a tournament, just think, if you’re a little girl, or a parent, that they get to see these women being very successful and great athletes, and it helps change the hearts and minds of people and how they think.”

The debate over the WTA's engagement with Saudi Arabia underscores a long-standing commitment by American women tennis players to address critical issues, particularly human rights. From Arthur Ashe and Billie Jean King to Martina Navratilova and the Williams sisters, these athletes have consistently demonstrated a social consciousness, whether through their words or actions.

Continuing this tradition is Coco Gauff, the 20-year-old American superstar and 2023 US Open champion. Despite her youth, Gauff has shown remarkable wisdom and thoughtfulness. Her mixed feelings about playing in Saudi Arabia highlighted an effective middle ground, as she navigated the situation carefully. “Obviously I’m a woman. I was very concerned. My dad was very concerned with me coming here,” Gauff said before the tournament. “I would be lying to you if I said I had no reservations. Obviously, you know who I am and the things I speak about. I was pretty much on every player call I could make with WTA. One of the things I said, if we come here, we can’t just come here and play our tournament and leave. Like, we have to have a real program or real plan in place.”

Gauff ensured direct communication with women in Saudi Arabia, including Princess Reema. “We spoke with a lot of women here in Saudi. One of them was Princess Reema. Multiple calls with her, how the best approach would be to enter into this different place that women have never kind of, women from the US, have never kind of been in. I think for me it was important, and it was one of the questions I brought up because about LGBTQ issues, women’s rights issues, how we can help with that.”

Gauff also drew parallels to her own family's history of facing prejudice, stating, “I think knowing from the past from my grandmother, integrating her school, people aren’t going to like it, but obviously in the long run I think it could be better for everybody.” Her decision to play in Riyadh in the future is not unconditional, as she noted, “If I felt uncomfortable or it felt like nothing’s happening, then … I probably wouldn’t come back.”

Gauff's presence in Riyadh was not just about the ethical debate; she also managed to win the year-end tour title, defeating the world’s top two players (Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka) in straight sets and securing the championship against Qinwen Zheng, earning the highest-ever payday in women’s tennis.

This concludes a remarkable stretch of play for Gauff, following her disappointing fourth-round defeat at the US Open and parting ways with coach Brad Gilbert. With new coach Matt Daly, Gauff has made significant changes to her game, particularly her serve. Daly credits Gauff’s willingness to work on her game while competing as a testament to her focus and commitment.

Looking ahead to 2025, Gauff’s improved serving prowess will likely enhance her chances at Wimbledon, where she has yet to advance past the round of 16. Gauff is proving to be the antidote to the cautionary tales of young prodigies who burned out too early, by maintaining balance in her life and blending her extraordinary athleticism with thoughtful commentary.

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