{"id":1833213,"date":"2026-03-18T19:15:55","date_gmt":"2026-03-18T16:15:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1833213"},"modified":"2026-03-18T19:15:55","modified_gmt":"2026-03-18T16:15:55","slug":"coco-gauff-backs-aryna-sabalenka-after-world-no-1-slams-ridiculous-comments-from-dubai-chief","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1833213","title":{"rendered":"Coco Gauff backs Aryna Sabalenka after world No 1 slams &#8216;ridiculous&#8217; comments from Dubai chief"},"content":{"rendered":"<article class=\"ps-article-content rounded-lg lg:mt-5 lg:border lg:border-card lg:bg-card lg:shadow-primary\">\n<header>\n<h1 class=\"py-4 text-xl font-normal text-title sm:text-2xl\">Coco Gauff backs Aryna Sabalenka after world No 1 slams \u2018ridiculous\u2019 comments from Dubai chief<\/h1>\n<div class=\"my-2 flex items-center justify-between\">\n<div class=\"flex items-center\">\n                        <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/author\/oli-dickson-jefford\" class=\"text-sm font-normal !text-author\"><br \/>\n                            Oli Dickson Jefford                        <\/a><br \/>\n                        <time class=\"ml-3 text-sm font-normal text-info md:ml-4\" datetime=\"18 Mar 2026 7:15 PM\" data-ps-date=\"18 Mar 2026 7:15 PM\" data-ps-datetime=\"1773861355\"><br \/>\n                            18 Mar 2026 7:15 PM                        <\/time>\n                    <\/div>\n<div class=\"hidden justify-end space-x-4 text-xl sm:flex sm:!opacity-100\">\n                        <a href=\"https:\/\/google.com\/preferences\/source?q=tennis365.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\"><br \/>\n                            <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"mx-auto !my-0 hidden dark:block h-6\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/content\/themes\/tennis365-sportsui\/img\/png\/preferred_source_badge_dark.png\" alt=\"Add as a preferred 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href=\"https:\/\/share.flipboard.com\/bookmarklet\/popout?v=2&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tennis365.com%2Ftennis-news%2Fcoco-gauff-backs-aryna-sabalenka-world-no-1-slams-ridiculous-comments-dubai-chief\" aria-label=\"Share to flipboard\"><\/p>\n<p>                        <\/a>\n                    <\/div>\n<div class=\"sm:hidden flex items-center space-x-5\">\n                        <a href=\"https:\/\/google.com\/preferences\/source?q=tennis365.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\"><br \/>\n                            <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"mx-auto !my-0 hidden dark:block h-6\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/content\/themes\/tennis365-sportsui\/img\/png\/preferred_source_badge_dark.png\" alt=\"Add as a preferred source on Google\" width=\"76\" height=\"24\"><br \/>\n                            <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"mx-auto !my-0 dark:hidden h-6\" 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src=\"https:\/\/d2me2qg8dfiw8u.cloudfront.net\/content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Coco-Gauff-Aryna-Sabalenka-coach-Gavin-MacMillan-1320x742.jpg\" alt=\"Pictured: WTA Tour stars Coco Gauff and Aryna Sabalenka.\">                <\/figure><figcaption class=\"flex items-center space-x-3 border-b border-mobile-caption px-3 lg:border-caption\">\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"my-1.5 break-words !text-xs !text-content\">\n                                WTA Tour stars Coco Gauff and Aryna Sabalenka.                            <\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<div class=\"ciam-article-t365\">\n<p>Coco Gauff can \u201ccompletely understand\u201d why Aryna Sabalenka would not return to the Dubai Tennis Championships following controversial comments made by the event\u2019s tournament director earlier this year.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/tennis-news\/aryna-sabalenka-iga-swiatek-withdraw-wta-dubai-championships-2026\">World No 1 Sabalenka joined then-world No 2 Iga Swiatek in pulling out of action in Dubai, a WTA 1000 event, back in February<\/a>, with both women deciding to withdraw one day before the draw was made.<\/p>\n<p>The two multiple-time Grand Slam champions were far from the only players to withdraw from the event, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/tennis-news\/dubai-tournament-director-harsher-punishment-late-sabalenka-swiatek-withdrawals\">though Dubai tournament director Salah Tahlak appeared particularly critical of Sabalenka and Swiatek<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2>Tennis News<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/tennis-features\/atp-miami-open-predictions-2026-jannik-sinner-carlos-alcaraz-daniil-medvedev\">ATP Miami Open Predictions: Carlos Alcaraz vs Jannik Sinner, Daniil Medvedev continues resurgence<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/tennis-news\/carlos-alcaraz-looking-tired-consider-skipping-tournaments-says-toni-nadal\">Carlos Alcaraz \u2018looking a bit tired\u2019 and should consider skipping some tournaments, says Toni Nadal<\/a><\/p>\n<p>In quotes reported by <em>The National<\/em>, Tahlak controversially claimed that players who pulled out of WTA 1000 events at short notice should receive \u201charsher\u201d penalties.<\/p>\n<p>He said: \u201cI think there should be a harsher punishment on the players [for withdrawing], not just fines, they should be docked ranking points.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI even asked the [tournament] doctor: \u2018What is the injury?\u2019 He said it\u2019s a minor injury, not one that would force her [Sabalenka] to withdraw from the tournament. And for Iga, I asked: \u2018Isn\u2019t this a strange decision?&#8217;\u201d<\/p>\n<p>WTA players can already receive monetary fines or receive \u2018zero-pointers\u2019 on their WTA Ranking, should they fail to meet the \u2018mandatory\u2019 requirements set by the tour.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/tag\/aryna-sabalenka\">Sabalenka<\/a> had not previously publicly commented on Tahlak\u2019s comments, though the world No 1 slammed what she called \u201cridiculous\u201d complaints <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/tennis-news\/aryna-sabalenka-sends-dubai-boycott-warning-ridiculous-comment-tournament-chief\">during her pre-tournament Miami Open press conference, claiming she would consider not returning to Dubai in the future<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFor me, it\u2019s actually so sad to see \u200bthat the tournament directors and \u200cthe tournaments are not protecting us as players,\u201d commented Sabalenka. \u201cThey just care about their [sales], about their tournament, and that\u2019s it.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHis comment was ridiculous. I\u2019m not sure if I ever want to go there after his comment. For me, it\u2019s too \u200cmuch.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>World No 1 Sabalenka has now received the backing of long-time rival <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/tag\/coco-gauff\">Gauff<\/a>, the current world No 4 and reigning French Open champion.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/tennis-news\/coco-gauff-responds-calls-iga-swiatek-aryna-sabalenka-punished-skipping-event\">Gauff had previously questioned Tahlak\u2019s comments during her campaign at the Dubai Championships<\/a>, and, speaking in Miami this week, stated that Sabalenka had a right to feel frustrated.<\/p>\n<p>Gauff said: \u201cI just feel Iga and Aryna have played that tournament so many times, and it wasn\u2019t anything personal to it.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s tough. We\u2019re trying our best to play the calendar.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI completely understand why she [Sabalenka] would feel like that \u200bbecause the comments were unnecessary.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Both Sabalenka and Gauff will be in action at the Miami Open this week, with world No 1 Sabalenka looking to defend her title at the event.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/tennis-features\/what-is-the-sunshine-double-can-jannik-sinner-aryna-sabalenka-achieve-it\">The Belarusian also has the chance to complete the rare \u2018Sunshine Double\u2019<\/a>, following her recent triumph in Indian Wells.<\/p>\n<p>However, Sabalenka does not have the easiest of draws at the WTA 1000 event, with Elena Rybakina \u2014 arguably her leading rival right now \u2014 projected to meet her in the semi-final.<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, fourth seed Gauff sits in the bottom half of the draw, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/tennis-news\/miami-open-coco-gauff-issues-update-after-mri-scan-on-scary-injury-that-felt-like-fireworks\">with the American back in action for the first time since retiring injured in Indian Wells<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The 21-year-old is on the same half of the draw as second seed Iga Swiatek, and will be looking to win the title for the first time.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Want more from Tennis365? Add us as <a rel=\"noopener nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/preferences\/source?q=tennis365.com\" target=\"_blank\">a preferred source on Google to your favourites list<\/a> for tennis coverage you can trust.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Read Next<\/strong>: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/tennis-news\/wta-miami-open-predictions-sabalenka-rybakina-rivalry-continues-swiatek-faces-more-disappointment\">WTA Miami Open Predictions: Sabalenka &amp; Rybakina rivalry continues, Swiatek faces more disappointment<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"kwizly-quiz kwizly-XbjZnX\" data-nosnippet=\"\" data-quiz-type=\"poll|mpu\"><\/div>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/article>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Coco Gauff backs Aryna Sabalenka after world No 1 slams \u2018ridiculous\u2019 comments from Dubai chief Oli Dickson Jefford 18 Mar 2026 7:15 PM WTA Tour stars Coco Gauff and Aryna Sabalenka. Coco Gauff can \u201ccompletely understand\u201d why Aryna Sabalenka would not return to the Dubai Tennis Championships following controversial comments made by the event\u2019s tournament [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[226,249],"class_list":["post-1833213","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-crawlmanager","tag-tennis365-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1833213","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1833213"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1833213\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1833213"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1833213"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1833213"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}