A change in
the WTA regulations indicates that Top-10 players will only be allowed to
participate in 250-level tournaments if they are held in their home country or
if the player is the current champion of the tournament. In this scenario, Coco
Gauff, the 2023
ASB Classic champion and current semifinalist, will only be
able to return to play the tournament if she wins the title; otherwise, she
won't be eligible.
The world
No. 3 has had an impressive campaign in Auckland, reaching the semifinals with
three consecutive victories. For a spot in the final, she will face her
compatriot Emma Navarro, who is currently at her career-best ranking as world
No. 31.
According
to the new regulation, which will come into effect from 2025, there will be
restrictions on the participation of top-ranked players in 250-level
tournaments. This is aimed at providing better opportunities for lower-ranked
players to rise and preventing the top-ranked players from entering 250-level
events to secure points against lower-level opponents.
Furthermore,
in the future, players in the top-30 will also face restrictions, being allowed
to play a maximum of one or two of these tournaments. The goal is to limit the
participation of the best players to tournaments of at least 500-level.
Gauff
reached the semifinals
The 2023 US
Open champion has had a dominant start in 2024. In the first round, she
defeated the American Claire Liu (No. 95) with a score of 6-4, 6-2. In the
second round, she faced the 16-year-old Czech player Brenda Fruhvirtova (No.
117), who struggled against Gauff, resulting in a victory for Gauff with a
score of 6-3, 6-0. The quarterfinals were also smooth sailing for the
19-year-old, as she eliminated the 8th seed Varvara Gracheva (No. 42).
In the
semifinals, the challenge will be against Emma Navarro, with whom she has no
previous encounters. If she secures another victory, she will have the
opportunity to play in the final.
