Tennis Fans Outraged Over "Embarrassing" WTA Finals Crowd

Approximately 400 fans attended Coco Gauff's match at the WTA Finals.

Coco Gauff is one the most popular players at the WTA Finals in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Three days of action at the WTA Finals are in the books, and there has been no shortage of exciting moments. While the season is winding down, the best players are sprinting through the finish line. The top eight ranked players are in the midst of a round robin tournament that will decide the 2024 WTA Rankings.

Fans from all over the world can easily watch the year-end tournament thanks to television, streaming, and social media. Unfortunately, the event has not been well-attended by local fans in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

It is impossible to see the stands during the matches due to the dark lighting inside of the indoor facilities. However, media reporters are sharing videos from inside of King Saud University Indoor Arena.

The behind-the-scenes look has been underwhelming. In fact, it has left many tennis fans upset with what they are calling an "embarrassing" crowd.

This just really bums me the heck out, I don’t know how else to say it. ☹️ https://t.co/Ic0u9eEV7D

— Ben Rothenberg (@BenRothenberg) November 4, 2024

While the King Saud University Indoor Arena can host a capacity of 5,000 fans, it looks like roughly 400 people attended the highly anticipated match between World No. 3 Coco Gauff and World No. 6 Jessica Pegula on Sunday afternoon.

The overwhelming sentiment among tennis fans online was that it was an embarrassing look for the sport. Others took a more pointed approach of blaming the WTA for participating in "sportswashing" with Saudi Arabia.

Before the year-end tournament even began, the media pressed players with questions on their thoughts about the WTA partnering with Saudi Arabia. Most players saw it as an opportunity to grow the sport, while Gauff wanted more progress from the host country.

From ATL to Riyadh 🫶@CocoGauff | #WTAFinalsRiyadh pic.twitter.com/HRBh9MhKG3

— wta (@WTA) November 3, 2024

While the tournament was lightly attended, the fans who made the trip were treated to excellent tennis. Plus, they got up close and personal with many of their favorite players.

After defeating Pegula, Gauff shouted out to her fans in the stands. She was surprised to learn that some people from her hometown of Atlanta made the trip to Riyadh. One lucky fan even got an autographed New Balance tennis shoe from Gauff.

The WTA puts out an amazing product almost every day of the calendar, and the players deserve to play in front of large crowds. However, the 2025 and 2026 WTA Finals will still be held in Riyadh. So, work remains to be done.

Gotta get that @CocoGauff signed sneaker 👟#WTAFinalsRiyadh | #PIF pic.twitter.com/HpqTSCbTpE

— wta (@WTA) November 3, 2024

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