Coco Gauff Says She Confronted Saudi Princess Over Nation’s Human Rights Abuses But Still Played There

American women’s tennis star Coco Gauff prepares to compete against fellow American Jessica Pegula in Ridya, Saudi Arabia, for the World Tennis Tour Championships on Sunday.

But while she was inside country from the Middle EastGauff also claims to have met with Princess Reema bint Bandar Al Saud to discuss the treatment of women there. Bandar Al Saud is royalty in the country as her paternal grandfather is the former Crown Prince Sultan. And he is currently the 11th ambassador of Saudi Arabia to the US

“I have spoken to many women here in Saudi Arabia. One of them was Princess Reema. More calls with her like the best approach to get into this different place that women have never had, women in the US, have never kind. was in,” Gauff told reporters Friday.

“I think for me it was important and it was one of the questions that I brought up because about LGBTQ issues, women’s rights issues, how can we help with that.”

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

Gauff admitted that her father was concerned about her leaving the country amid systematic discrimination against women.

“Obviously I’m a woman. I was very worried. My dad was very worried about me coming here,” Gauff said.

Gauff admitted he had “reservations” about attending the event because the venue is in Saudi Arabia. She cited the country’s treatment of women and people from the LGBT community.

“I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have reservations. Obviously, you know who I am and the things I’m talking about. I’ve been on almost every call I could make with the WTA. One of the things I said, if we come here, we can’t just come here and play our tournament and leave, we have to have a real schedule or a real plan,” Gauff said.

She compared the situation to what her grandmother went through during the integration of US public schools more than 60 years ago.

“I think knowing from my grandmother’s past, integrating her school, people aren’t going to like it, but obviously in the long run, I think it might be better for everybody,” Gauff said.

TUBERVILLE REPLIED TO WALZ’S SIDELINE FROM THE PHONES: “TRYING TO MAKE HIMSELF LOOK GOOD”

Gauff’s maternal grandmother, Yvonne Lee Odom, enrolled at the formerly white Seacrest High School (now Atlantic Community High School) in Florida in 1961. It was seven years after Brown v. Public Schools. Odom is hailed as a popular civil rights activist in her community of West Palm Beach, Florida.

Gauff now says he plans to make an impact on Saudi Arabia, amid the country’s many controversial human rights abuses.

“Obviously I’m very aware of the situation here in Saudi Arabia. I mean, my point is that sports can have a way of opening doors for people. I think in order to want some kind of change, you have to see it, I think sports, for me, I would say, is the easiest way to introduce that,” she said.

“Hopefully, with the WTA coming here and committing for the next three years to helping the future Program Stars here in Saudi Arabia, we will have introduced more Saudi women to the sport in particular. I think their goal is to have a million people playing tennis here by 2030. Hopefully, with that, people will be able to see us, what we stand for, and hopefully that will enforce more equality.”

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

In Saudi Arabia, the male guardianship system was enshrined in law in 2022, meaning women must have a male legal guardian – and they cannot choose who it is. Many of the women who campaigned against the ban on female drivers were jailed and harassed, despite the law being later changed to allow women to drive.

The country also bans LGBT relationships, public displays of affection and gender expression, with severe societal stigma, discrimination and legal repercussions for LGBT people, including imprisonment, fines or the death penalty.

Saudi Arabian political writer Raif Badawi has been sentenced to 1,000 lashes and 10 years in prison for “insulting Islam” and setting up an online forum for political debate. He was to be flogged 50 times a week. In 2022, he was finally released, but faces a travel ban, meaning that after not seeing his family for 12 years, he will have to wait another nine years.

Watch Fox News Digital sports coverage on Xand subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.