World No. 4 American tennis player Coco Gauff shared her views on the letter sent by leading players to the WTA and ATP. The letter requested a meeting to discuss increasing prize money levels and improving the distribution of revenue within the sport.
“The financial distribution in tennis is different from how it works in other sports. Only the top players receive significant amounts, while lower-ranked players are left behind. This doesn`t happen in other sports. We have the privilege of being at the top and being able to demand changes, which is why we sent the letter hoping for a meeting soon. But we also understand that we are elite athletes and have the privilege of earning substantial money in a very straightforward way. As someone in this position, I observe other sports where such privileges don`t exist. We should thank Billie Jean King for what she did for tennis.”
Gauff also commented on the incident where British player Emma Raducanu was reportedly stalked by an unknown man.
“I`ve always felt safe on the tennis court, I`ve never had problems with anyone. What happened with Raducanu was very difficult, because she was also affected at the hotel. But I think the Tour is doing everything possible to ensure our safety.”
Raducanu reportedly became emotional during her first-round match in Dubai due to the incident. It was reported that before the match, an unknown man approached her in public, handed her a note, took her photo, and displayed behavior that “concerned the player.”
