American women's tennis star Coco Gauff is scheduled to play fellow American Jessica Pegula in the group stage of the WTA Finals in Lydia, Saudi Arabia, on Sunday.
However, Gauff also claims that while in the Middle Eastern country, she met with Princess Reema bint Bandar Al Saud to discuss the treatment of women in the country. Bandar Al Saud is a member of the country's royal family, as his paternal grandfather is a former sultan and crown prince. And she currently serves as the 11th Saudi Arabian Ambassador to the United States.
“We talked to a lot of women here in Saudi Arabia, and one of them was Princess Reema. We had many phone calls with her, and we talked to her in this different place where women have never been kind to her, in the United States. “We talked about the best approach is to enter this different place that women have never been kind to before,” Gauff told reporters on Friday.
“I think that was important to me. It was one of the questions I raised about LGBTQ issues, women's rights issues and how we can support that.”
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Coco Gauff (USA) loses to Emma Navarro (USA) on day 7 of the 2024 US Open Tennis Tournament at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing, New York on September 1st. React after. (Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports)
Gauff's father admitted he was concerned about her traveling to a country where systemic discrimination against women is widespread.
“Obviously I'm a woman and I was very worried. My dad was very worried about me coming here,” Gauff said.
Gauff admitted she had “reservations” about attending the event because it was held in Saudi Arabia. She cited the country's treatment of women and members of the LGBT community.
“I would be lying if I said I had no hesitation. Of course you know who I am and what I'm talking about. I participate in almost every player call with the WTA. One of the things I said was, when you come here, you can't just come here and play a tournament and go home, you have to have a real program and plan.'' said.
She compared the situation to what her grandmother experienced during the integration of public schools in the United States more than 60 years ago.
“I don't think people would like integrating her school because of my grandmother's past experience, but I think obviously in the long run it's better for everyone,” Gauff said. .
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Coco Gauff of the United States attends a press conference prior to the Australian Open Tennis Championships held at Melbourne Park in Melbourne, Australia on January 12th. (AP Photo/Mark Baker)
Gauff's maternal grandmother, Yvonne Lee Odom, attended the previously all-white Seacrest High School (now Atlantic Community High School) in Florida in 1961. This was seven years after Brown v. Board of Education, the landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision that upheld racial discrimination. public school. Odom is hailed as a popular civil rights activist in the West Palm Beach, Florida, community.
Gauff says she intends to leave an impact on Saudi Arabia, which is currently known for a number of controversial human rights violations.
“Of course, I'm very aware of the situation here in Saudi Arabia. So my view on it is that sports has a way of opening doors for people, to want some kind of change. “I think we need something like this.'For me, I think the easiest way to introduce that is through sports,” she said.
“I hope that with the WTA coming here and pledging to support the Future Stars program in Saudi for the next three years, they will especially introduce more Saudi women to the sport. Their goal is to , I think by 2030 there will be a million people playing tennis here.''This will help people understand who we are and what we represent, so there will be more equality. I hope that this will come true. ”
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Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus vs. Belarus in the women's singles final on Day 13 of the 2023 US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing, New York on September 9, 2023. 's Coco Gauff is reflected between the points. . (Coco Gauff)
In Saudi Arabia, the male guardianship system was enacted into law in 2022. In other words, women must have a male guardian, but women cannot choose their guardian. Although the law was subsequently changed to allow women to drive, many of the women who supported the movement against the ban were imprisoned and harassed.
The country also prohibits LGBT relationships, public displays of affection, and gender expression, with severe social prejudice, discrimination, and legal consequences for LGBT individuals, including imprisonment, fines, and the death penalty.
Saudi political writer Raif Badawi was sentenced to 1,000 lashes and 10 years in prison for “insulting Islam” and for setting up an online forum for political discussion. He was scheduled to receive 50 lashes each week. He was finally released in 2022, but was subject to a travel ban and will have to wait another nine years after not seeing his family for 12 years.
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