Gauff welcomes WTA Finals switch to Indian Wells

LONDON: Coco Gauff has said she is pleased that this year's WTA Finals will be staged in the United States, after the women's tour decided to move the season-ending tournament from Riyadh to Indian Wells.

The WTA announced on Wednesday that the event, scheduled for November 8-15, will no longer be held in Saudi Arabia this year. The change brings an early end to a three-year hosting arrangement signed in 2024, with the 2026 edition now set for the United States.

Speaking to reporters at Wimbledon, Gauff said the return of the tournament to American soil appealed to her personally. She also said the move would create an unusual experience because Indian Wells is normally a stop on the women's circuit in March rather than November.

Gauff said she was eager to see how conditions would affect play in the Californian desert late in the year and noted that cooler evening temperatures could become a factor.

"I'm really biased, so I'm really happy it's in the U.S. As an American, it's cool," she told reporters. "It's going to be weird going to be in Indian Wells in November. I'm very curious if we're going to be playing in the night or the day. I hope the day, because I feel it's going to be a little chilly at night."

Although she backed the relocation, Gauff also recalled positive memories from Riyadh, where she won the title two years ago. She said the reception there had been warm and described the event as significant because it brought top-level women's tennis to a new audience.

"Obviously I have great memories in Saudi, playing and winning my title there two years ago. We had a warm reception from them. It was really cool just to bring I think the first women's professional tennis event being held there." Gauff said, referring to her experience in Saudi Arabia.

Calls for stability

Gauff also said she would prefer the WTA Finals to settle in one regular location after a run of venue changes in recent years. Since 2019, the tournament has been hosted in Shenzhen, Guadalajara, Fort Worth and Cancun, in addition to Riyadh.

On the question of a long-term base for the event, she said, "I definitely would like to see a more permanent home for it."

Jessica Pegula also commented on the repeated venue shifts, saying the WTA should not shoulder all the blame for failing to keep the tournament in one place over a longer period. She suggested that conflict in the Middle East may have played a part in the latest disruption. "The saga of the WTA Finals continues," Pegula said.

"It's like we can't catch a break, and I don't necessarily think it's our fault. There tends to be a lot of world conflicts that seem to happen and get in the way." she added.