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.
New rules say Top 10 can play 250s only if it's in her country or she's the title holder. If she wins it again, will play it again next year, and so on, in a field that will always have max 1 or 2 Top 30 (they have restrictions too). But if she loses, can never play it again...
Coco crushed it! 💥 Defending Auckland champ @CocoGauff swiftly moves past Varvara Gracheva, 6-1, 6-1. Gauff did not face a break point in confirming an all-American semifinal with Emma Navarro. 🇺🇸
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.
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.
