The idea of a WTA-ATP merger is nothing new in the tennis world. Significantly, several prominent stars like Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal have supported it based on gender equality. But there are still a few of them who are against this merger. The American tennis prodigy, Coco Gauff, discussed her opinions related to the merger. 

Gauff thinks this move would surely help women’s tennis. Prize money in women’s tours for non-Grand Slam events has been a critical point of debate over the last few years. WTA had earlier said it’s starting a move towards equal pay and hopes to equal the purses for men’s and women’s tennis events by 2033. Can this merger provide a monumental boost in the prize money for women’s tours?

Coco Gauff thinks combined events in tennis bring out more energy among the fans

Gauff is currently on a dream run in 2024. She hasn’t lost a match yet in 2024 and is yet to drop a set at the Australian Open. The Floridan has already become a prominent figure in women’s tennis. Recently, she appeared in a press conference and reflected on her support for the WTA-ATP merger.

When asked about her stand on the merger, she said, “Yeah, I definitely think it would help women. Especially the women’s side of the game. I find that when I’m at combined events. I just feel like the energy amongst the crowd is better. For most of the events, it’s equal prize money when they’re combined. Yeah, definitely will help our side of the game.“

Gauff went on to add, “Yeah, and I just feel like I generally enjoy when both men and women are at the same tournaments just because I have also friends on the guys’ side. Not even money-wise, it would just be more fun for me as a player around the grounds. Yeah, I definitely think it would help us a lot. Hopefully, one day it could be a possibility.“

Several players have spoken about the WTA-ATP merger in the past. And the GOATs of tennis have their say on the issue. 

When Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal stepped in to show their support for the merger

During the tough times of the global pandemic, Roger Federer once tweeted saying, “Just wondering…..am I the only one thinking that now is the time for men’s and women’s tennis to be united and come together as one? These are tough times in every sport, and we can come out of this with two weakened bodies or one stronger body.” 

Although Rafael Nadal had opposed this idea in the past, that time he replied to Federer’s tweet showing his full support and wrote, “Hey Roger Federer. As you know per our discussions, I completely agree that it would be great to get out of this world crisis with the union of men’s and women’s tennis in one only organization.”

However, a few other players, like the Canadian tennis player Milos Raonic, believe that these discussions over the WTA-ATP merger are nothing but a transparent way to create ‘a more cohesive product to sell’ Saudi Arabia’s PIF. What is your take on this? Should there be a merger between ATP and WTA? Share your views in the comments section.

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