Not a lesser-known fact but Venus Williams has redefined boundaries and expectations since she first stormed the sport three decades ago. Back then, women lacked a substantial bearing in tennis. However, Williams scripted jaw-dropping records that inspired millions of her followers to take motivation from her journey. One of those is the current World No. 3 Coco Gauff.

On October 31, the former World No. 1 completed thirty years of her professional tennis debut. She commenced her glorious career at the Silicon Valley Classic in Oakland, California in 1994 when she was merely 14 years old and downed former NCAA singles champion Shaun Stafford in the opener. The rest is history. Williams went on to clinch seven Grand Slam titles on the tour and further, decorated her laudable resume by adding four Olympic gold medals.

As Venus reflected on her journey on her 30th anniversary on the WTA, the occasion elicited her countrywoman Gauff to heap praise on Williams. The 44-year-old took to her official social media handle to post photos that captured moments of her first pro debut. Recognizing the importance of that day, Williams captioned the post: “Beads, braids, and the beginning of a game never seen before in tennis”. Moreover, the five-time Wimbledon champion also tagged her younger sister and 23-time Major winner Serena Williams, young talent Coco Gauff, and Japanese star Naomi Osaka in her post.

Subsequently, having benefited from Williams’s impressive journey and bravery to battle past all hurdles, 2023 US Open champion Gauff righteously praised the former’s efforts in raising the standards for women in tennis. “I’m someone who wears braids a lot, and seeing that she was able to do that 30 years ago, maybe where the space wasn’t as receptive of this type of hair, is important. Just her legacy, I hope to do half of what she’s done for, not only just tennis but prize money equality, women’s equality, racial equality, all of that. She’s someone that I look up to a lot when it comes to that,” Gauff said.

Gauff is currently participating in the WTA Finals in Riyadh and the American sensation reckons the event can help bring a notable change in gender equity in Saudi Arabia.

Coco Gauff believes WTA in Saudi Arabia can help ‘open doors’

The latest WTA-Saudi collab has received a mixed response from the sporting world. While some lament the nation’s long-drawn history with women and LGBTQIA+ rights, some see the event as a way of opening better opportunities for women. American superstar Coco Gauff is one of them.

Before commencing her WTA Finals campaign in Riyadh, the 20-year-old told the reporters on Friday: “I’m very aware of the situation here in Saudi. My view on it is that I do think sport can have a way to open doors to people. I think their goal is to have a million people playing tennis here by 2030. So hopefully with that, people see us and see what we represent, and hopefully that will enact more equality.”

While the highly debated topic will likely continue to trend, Gauff, in the meantime, has already started her campaign on a high. After a change in coaching staff, in hopes of rectifying her serving woes, the American player has started strong by defeating Jessica Pegula in the event’s opener on Sunday, October 3. Can Gauff go all the way and win the WTA Finals in Riyadh? Let us know in the comments below.