American women’s tennis star Coco Gauff is set to face fellow American Jessica Pegula in Ridya, Saudi Arabia, for the World Tennis Tour Championships on Sunday.

But while she was there the Middle Eastern countryGauff also claims to have met Princess Reema bint Bandar Al Saud to discuss the treatment of women there. Bandar Al Saud is part of the country’s royalty as his paternal grandfather is the former Crown Prince Sultan. And she is currently the 11th Saudi Ambassador to the United States.

“We spoke with a lot of women here in Saudi. One of them was Princess Reema. Several calls with her, how the best approach would be to enter this different place that women have never known, the women of the United States, have never loved, “Gauff told reporters Friday.

“I think for me it was important, and it was one of the issues that I brought up because of LGBTQ issues, women’s rights, how we can help with that.”

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Coco Gauff (USA) reacts after a miss against Emma Navarro (USA) during day seven of the 2024 US Open tennis tournament at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing, New York, September 1. (Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports)

Gauff admitted that her father was concerned about her taking a trip to this country amid systematic discrimination against women.

“Obviously, I’m a woman. I was very worried. My dad was very worried about me coming here,” Gauff said.

Gauff admitted she had “reservations” about participating in the event due to the venue being in Saudi Arabia. She cited the country’s treatment of women and members of the LGBT community.

“I’d be lying to you if I said I didn’t have any reservations. Obviously you know who I am and the things I talk about. I’ve been on almost every player call I’ve had with the WTA. One of the things I said: If we come here, we can’t just come here and play our tournament and leave. We have to have a real program or a real plan in place,” Gauff 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 think knowing about my grandmother’s past and integrating her school, people are not going to like it, but obviously in the long run I think it might be better for everyone,” Gauff said .

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American Coco Gauff is seen during a press conference ahead of the Australian Open tennis championships at Melbourne Park in Melbourne, Australia on January 12. (AP Photo/Mark Baker)

Gauff’s maternal grandmother, Yvonne Lee Odom, enrolled at 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 decision by the United States Supreme Court that desegregated public schools. Odom is hailed as a popular civil rights activist in her community of West Palm Beach, Florida.

Gauff now says she intends to make an impact in Saudi Arabia, amid many controversial human rights violations in that country.

“Obviously, I’m very aware of the situation here in Saudi Arabia. I mean, my view on it is that I think sport can have a way of opening doors for people. I think to want to change, it takes to see it I think sport, for me, I would say, is the easiest way to introduce that,” she said.

“I hope that with the WTA coming here and them committing for the next three years to help the future Stars program here in Saudi Arabia, they will have introduced more Saudi women, especially into this sport I think their goal is to have a million people playing tennis here by 2030. I hope that with that, people can see us, see what we stand for, and I hope that establishes. more equality.”

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American Coco Gauff is seen between points against Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka during their women’s singles final match on day thirteen of the 2023 US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing, New York, September 9, 2023. . (Coco Gauff)

In Saudi Arabia, the male guardianship system was enshrined in law in 2022, meaning women must have a male legal guardian – and they can’t choose who that is. Many women who supported a campaign against the ban on women driving were imprisoned and harassed, despite the fact that the law was later changed to allow women to drive.

The country also prohibits LGBT relationships, public displays of affection, and gender expression, with severe societal stigma, discrimination, and legal repercussions for LGBT people, including imprisonment, fines, or the death penalty.

Saudi political writer Raif Badawi was sentenced to 1,000 lashes and 10 years in prison for “insulting Islam” and for founding an online political debate forum. He had to be whipped 50 times a week. In 2022, he was finally released, but he faces a travel ban, meaning that after 12 years without seeing his family, he will have to wait another nine years.

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