WTA Finals in Saudi Arabia can help 'open doors', says Gauff

Reuters - 02/11
Staging the WTA Finals in Saudi Arabia can help to bring change on behalf of gender equality and LGBTQ rights in the kingdom, Coco Gauff said, although the former U.S. Open champion added that she still had some reservations.
Nov 2 (Reuters) - Staging the WTA Finals in Saudi Arabia can help to bring change on behalf of gender equality and LGBTQ rights in the kingdom, Coco Gauff said, although the former U.S. Open champion added that she still had some reservations.
Riyadh will host the season finale - which features the top eight singles players and doubles teams - from 2024-2026, replacing last year's host Cancun, Mexico. This year's WTA Finals will run from Nov. 2-9.
The WTA has received some criticism for the move, with greats Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova voicing their opposition.
"I'm obviously very aware of the situation here in Saudi. My view on it is that I do think sport can have a way to open doors to people," Gauff told reporters on Friday.
"This is the first professional women's tennis event held here. The WTA pledged for the next three years to help the Future Stars programme here in Saudi ...
[Short citation of 8% of the original article]