American tennis star Coco Gauff is expressing support for the decision to move the WTA Finals out of Saudi Arabia and into Indian Wells, California — though she’s calling for the season-ending championship to eventually find a stable, long-term location.
The WTA announced Wednesday that this year’s Finals, scheduled for November 8-15, will be pulled from Riyadh ahead of schedule, ending a three-year hosting agreement that was signed in 2024. The 2026 edition of the tournament is also set to be held in the United States.
Gauff, who claimed the title in the Saudi Arabian capital two years ago, said she has no complaints about the shift — even if she acknowledged a personal bias toward the new location.
“I’m really biased, so I’m really happy it’s in the U.S. As an American, it’s cool,” Gauff told reporters at Wimbledon. “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.”
She also reflected warmly on her time competing in Saudi Arabia. “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,” she said.
Still, Gauff made clear she’d like to see the tournament stop bouncing around. The event has previously been held in Shenzhen, Guadalajara, Fort Worth, and Cancun since 2019. “I definitely would like to see a more permanent home for it,” she added.
Gauff’s fellow American Jessica Pegula described the ongoing venue instability as a continuing “saga,” while suggesting the WTA itself shouldn’t bear all the blame.
“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.”
The WTA did not offer a specific explanation for departing Saudi Arabia early. The kingdom has faced criticism from human rights advocates who accuse it of using major sporting events to improve its international image — a practice often referred to as “sportswashing.” Saudi Arabia denies those accusations and says its laws are designed to protect national security.
The Saudi Tennis Federation said it worked alongside the WTA to reach thousands of people through community programs aimed at supporting women, and credited the partnership with raising the profile of women’s tennis both within the kingdom and internationally.
Pegula said she understood the WTA had to make the decision it felt was right, and noted that Indian Wells has a proven track record of hosting top-tier tennis events.
“It’s unfortunate we couldn’t quite end in Riyadh on a good note. But things happen. So we just have to go along with that decision. Hopefully I can be there in November,” Pegula said.
