"I think maybe missing one or two should be allowed": Coco Gauff argues players should be afforded more freedom as new WTA mandatory rules confirmed

World No. 3 Coco Gauff expressed her indecision regarding the new regulations introduced by the WTA for mandatory tournaments. The 2023 US Open champion arrived at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships as one of the favorites to claim the second WTA 1000 title of the year, starting just a day after the Qatar Open.

The demanding schedule has faced criticism from players, including 4-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek, who voiced concerns about participating in major events in consecutive weeks due to the risk of injuries and physical issues.

During a press conference before her debut in Dubai, Gauff mentioned that it is challenging for players to adapt to these rules: "I feel like I’m always adjusting to tour life, playing more tournaments," she said on Monday.

“I’m still learning the whole mandatory situation. It hasn’t changed the way I approach it, except maybe after Australia I was thinking about maybe not playing in Doha. Since it was a 1000, I decided to play. I don’t base my results off of that decision. It’s definitely different. I think I’m on the fence of just waiting and seeing how it goes.”

Players who are directly accepted into the main draw of a WTA 1000 tournament based on their WTA ranking must compete in the event. If they choose to withdraw, they will receive zero points, which are included in the calculation of their WTA ranking. The ranking calculation is based on a specified number of events per year.

“I think maybe missing one or two should be allowed with the way our sport is,” Gauff commented. “Also at the same time, I get the business side of it and media side of it, how to promote our sport,” Coco added.

“You want the best players there. It’s just about adapting. I think at the end of the day players should just make decisions what’s best for them and not think about ranking or any of that.”

The American experienced an unexpected loss to Katerina Siniakova (6-2, 6-4) in Qatar and bid farewell to the tournament in the first round, despite being the second seed. The 20-year-old tennis player discussed how she bounces back after a defeat: “You lose more than you win, especially in tennis,” she said.

“For me, I’ve been just trying to enjoy the other aspects in life other than that. Just listening to your body and listening to your mind. If you feel like you need to miss a tournament, miss it. For me, I’ll always try to play as much as I can with being healthy.”