“I can’t sit and…” Coco Gauff gives verdict on Novak Djokovic-backed PTPA’s legal action against WTA and ATP

Coco Gauff wants improvements in one aspect of the tennis system, which the PTPA demanded in their lawsuit.

“I can’t sit and…” Coco Gauff gives verdict on Novak Djokovic-backed PTPA’s legal action against WTA and ATP

Novak Djokovic, Coco Gauff (Image via The Tennis Letter)

World No.3 Coco Gauff handed a double bagel to countrywoman Sofia Kenin on Thursday (March 20) to kick-start her 2025 Miami Open campaign in an emphatic fashion. At the press conference, Gauff said she never analyzed the lawsuit filed by the Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA) against the tennis bodies: ATP, WTA, ITF, and the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA).

The PTPA said that they were forced to take this drastic step because of the tennis organizations’ failure to improve the system. They criticized the tennis bodies for ignoring players’ health, not paying them enough, and forcing them to be on the move for 11 months.

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The Novak Djokovic-backed players’ union also demanded a change in the ranking system and accused the ITIA of invading the privacy of the players. They accused the tennis bodies of suppressing competition and restricting the tournaments by not letting them pay more prize money.

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Gauff, like her rival and World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka, demanded improvements on the percentage of revenues that players receive as prize money from tournaments, especially from the Grand Slam events. She thinks tennis players don’t get paid enough if compared to other sports.

For me, I guess the biggest thing would be more of a percentage of the revenue in prize money. I also can’t sit here and complain. I’m a professional athlete, I get paid pretty well to do what I love. The amount of work isn’t equal to the reward – I’m an athlete, there are people who deal with much harder things in this world.

Coco Gauff told reporters

Coco Gauff wanted to lose a game against Sofia Kenin

Coco Gauff needed just 47 minutes to secure a comprehensive victory over Sofia Kenin. After the match, Gauff said she rather wanted to lose a game to stop her nerves from getting the better of her as the match progressed.

Coco Gauff
Coco Gauff (Image via X/Australian Open)

Honestly, when I was like 3-0, I was like, I kind of wanted to lose a game because I knew I was going to be nervous at 5-0. But once I got that first point, I was like, ‘Okay, maybe I just need to get three more’. I wanted it because I don’t know how many times it will happen again, hopefully a little bit more but I feel this is a one or two-time [in my] career type of thing.

Coco Gauff told Sky Sports after the match

With this win, Gauff has improved her head-to-head record over Kenin to 3-2. It was also Gauff’s second win over the 26-year-old this season following their meeting in the first round of the Australian Open.

The 2023 US Open champion also registered her second 6-0, 6-0 win over an opponent in her career as prior to Kenin, she defeated Arantxa Rus with the same scoreline last year in Madrid. Prior to the Miami Open, Gauff, who was 9-0 at the start of the season, suffered a disappointing three-set defeat to Belinda Bencic in the Indian Wells fourth round.

Coco Gauff to lock horns with Maria Sakkari next

Gauff has scheduled a third-round match against 28th seed Maria Sakkari, who beat Lucia Bronzetti in the round of 64. The 21-year-old will meet the Greek for the 10th time in her career and will hope to tie the head-to-head record to 5-5.

Coco Gauff (4)
Coco Gauff (Image via X/WTA)

They were last pitted against each other in this year’s Indian Wells third round, which Gauff had won in straight sets. Gauff, who is yet to win a singles title since the 2024 WTA Finals, and is playing better in Florida than she did in the California desert, has never progressed beyond the fourth round in Miami.