"Coco Gauff is going to be so great";"The market in the US is just so much bigger" - Craig Tiley explains why American players hold the key for WTA

Tennis Australia CEO, Craig Tiley, recently suggested that American tennis players are the 'commercial engine' for the WTA, and 2023 US Open winner Coco Gauff is the beacon for the growth of the sport in the United States.

In an interview at the 2023 Laver Cup in Vancouver, the CEO of Tennis Australia reflected on the dominance of American players in the WTA in recent years. Tiley also said that World No. 3 Coco Gauff and her compatriots could be critical for the development of the sport.

"Well, look, we have been fortunate. We came through an era of having great champions, American champions. We have the U.S. players reaching the highest levels of the game. That's why Coco Gauff is going to be so great for the sport. It is the commercial engine of the sport globally. So, I think that's great for the sport, having more of that. I do see some light at the end of the tunnel with that," Tiley said.

"That's no disrespect, there is a lot of great European players, but the market in the U.S. is just so much bigger, and I think that's good for the sport globally," he added.

Craig Tiley further opined that it is in the best interest of the WTA to work with the ATP. He also maintained that both men and women have equal opportunities in the sport.

"I think the WTA gets helped by the ATP and the WTA doing more things together. It's the great benefit of our sport. You know, most of the Grand Slams have been paying, for the last 40 years, been paying equal prize money. One of the great benefits of our sport are men and women have equal opportunity," Tiley said.

Coco Gauff's success at the US Open will help get children into the sport: Billie Jean King

Coco Gauff pictured after winning the 2023 US Open.

In a recent interview with Sky Sports, American tennis legend Billie Jean King spoke about the positive impact of Coco Gauff winning the 2023 US Open on the development of tennis in the USA.

The 12-time Grand Slam champion suggested that a homegrown talent winning the Major at Flushing Meadows could have the same influence in the USA as Andy Murray and Emma Raducanu winning Grand Slam titles had in the U.K.

"It was great for the United States because when you have someone homegrown [Coco Gauff] do well, like with Andy Murray for instance, [Emma] Raducanu, it helps get children into our sport. And that's what I like; I want us to grow tennis," Billie Jean King said.

The former World No. 1 hailed Gauff's maiden Grand Slam title as the appropriate celebration of 50 years of equal prize money for women at the US Open.

"It was fantastic. We've all been very anxious for her to win a major. Her winning was very exciting. We were celebrating 50 years of equal prize money for women, so it was really appropriate that she won," King said.

Coco Gauff last competed at the 2023 China Open where she was seeded third. She made her way to the semifinals by defeating Ekaterina Alexandrova, Petra Martic, Veronika Kudermetova and sixth seed Maria Sakkari.

The 19-year-old then faced second seed Iga Swiatek in the last four and bowed out of the competition after losing 2-6, 3-6. Coco Gauff will next compete at the 2023 WTA Finals in Cancun, Mexico from October 29 to November 5.