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Coco Gauff calls for significant change in tennis and points out where it is a long way behind other sports

Photo By Irina R. Hipolito/Europa Press via Getty Images
Photo By Irina R. Hipolito/Europa Press via Getty Images
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Coco Gauff is one of the leading figures on the WTA Tour, despite still being only 21-years-old.

Gauff changed her preparations for the clay season, beginning it with an emphatic victory over Ella Seidel in Stuttgart.

However, the world number four exited the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix a round later, with Gauff losing to Jasmine Paolini in straight sets.

Now she has headed to the Madrid Open, where Gauff has spoken about what she wants to change in tennis.

Mutua Madrid Open 2025 - Day 2
Photo By Irina R. Hipolito/Europa Press via Getty Images

Coco Gauff calls for a significant change to be made to tennis

There has been a lot of calls for change in tennis recently, headlined by the PTPA filing a claim against the ATP Tour.

One of the biggest topics in the claim concerned prize money, something that Novak Djokovic has previously spoken about.

Just a few weeks after that claim, the top 20 players on both the ATP and WTA Tours signed a letter asking for more prize money from the Grand Slam tournaments.

When asked about this letter and why she decided to sign it, Gauff claimed that tennis is behind other sports in terms of prize money.

However, Gauff did admit that tennis is one of the more advanced sports for women and thanked Billie Jean King for her work.

“The economic distribution in tennis is nowhere near that of other sports,” Gauff said in her pre-Madrid Open press conference. “Only the top players like us can benefit, not those lower down. This doesn’t happen in other sports.

“We are privileged to be at the top of tennis and able to demand changes, which is why we sent the letter and hope to have a meeting soon.

“We are very aware that we are elite athletes and have the privilege of making a lot of money very easily. As a female elite athlete, I also see other sports where they do not have as many privileges. We have to thank Billie Jean King for what she did for our sport.”

Coco Gauff’s Potential Draw at the Madrid Open

Despite being a former Roland Garros finalist, Gauff has struggled to find her feet at the Madrid Open in her four previous appearances at the tournament.

Last year, saw Gauff achieve her best result by reaching the last-16 in the Spanish capital, and she will be hoping to improve on that once again this year.

After receiving a bye to the second round, Gauff will play the winner of the match between Dayana Yastremska or British qualifier Fran Jones.

If she is to reach the quarter-finals of the Madrid Open for the first time, Gauff may have to overcome either Leylah Fernandez, Beatriz Haddad Maia, Clara Tauson or Belinda Bencic.

Madrid Open 2025Coco Gauff’s Potential Opponent
First RoundReceives a bye as the fourth seed
Second RoundDayana Yastremska/Fran Jones
Third RoundLeylah Fernandez (25)/Ann Li/Aliaksandra Sasnovich
Fourth RoundBeatriz Haddad Maia (16)/Clara Tauson (20)/Belinda Bencic
Quarter-finalMirra Andreeva (7)/Karolina Muchova (12)/Liudmila Samsonova (18)/Magdalena Frech (27)
Semi-finalIga Swiatek (2)/Madison Keys (5)/Emma Navarro (11)/Diana Shnaider (13)
FinalAryna Sabalenka (1)/Jessica Pegula (3)/Jasmine Paolini (6)/Qinwen Zheng (8)

Not only will Gauff be searching for better result at the Madrid Open, but also just a general upturn in form.

Since losing to Paula Badosa in the Australian Open quarter-finals, Gauff has failed to win more than two matches in a row.