LONDON, July 1 (Reuters) - American Coco Gauff welcomed the relocation of the WTA Finals from Saudi Arabia to Indian Wells in Southern California, but expressed hope that the season-ending tournament would find a permanent home after so much relocation in the past few years.

The Women's Tennis Association announced on Wednesday that the tournament scheduled to take place from November 8 to 15 will be held outside Riyadh this year, ending early a three-year hosting agreement signed by both parties in 2024, with this year's edition to be held in the United States.

Gauff, who won the tournament in the Saudi capital two years ago, said it was good to introduce high-level tennis competitions to a new demographic, but she was not complaining about the change.

Speaking to reporters at Wimbledon about the possibility of returning to the California desert, which hosts a tournament in March as part of the women's tour, Gauff said, "I'm really biased, so I'm very happy that the tournament is being held in the United States. As an American, this is fantastic."

"It will be strange going to Indian Wells in November. I am very curious to find out whether we will be playing at night or during the day. I hope it will be during the day, because I feel it will be a bit cold at night."

"Of course I have great memories of Saudi Arabia, where I played and won the title two years ago. We received a warm welcome from them. It was truly wonderful that, I believe, the first professional women's tennis tournament was held there."

Shenzhen, Guadalajara, Fort Worth and Cancun have also hosted the tournament since 2019.

Gough added, "I would certainly like to see a more permanent home for this tournament."

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American Jessica Bigola said that the federation's inability to keep the tournament in one place for a long time was not its fault, noting that the conflict in the Middle East may have been a factor.

Pegula added, "The season-ending WTA Finals continues."

"It seems we can't get a chance to rest, and I don't necessarily think that's our fault. There are a lot of global conflicts going on that are getting in our way."

The federation did not give a reason for moving the tournament from Saudi Arabia, which human rights advocates have accused of investing heavily to improve its human rights image through sports.

The kingdom denies accusations of human rights abuses and says it protects its national security through its laws.

The Saudi Tennis Federation said that, in cooperation with the Women’s Tennis Association, it has been able to reach thousands of people through community programs aimed at supporting women, and has contributed to increasing the visibility of women’s tennis throughout the Kingdom and globally.

Pegula said that the WTA ultimately had to make the decision it deemed appropriate, and knew that Indian Wells was a viable option given its ability to organize a top-class sporting event.

"It's unfortunate that we couldn't conclude (the collaboration) in Riyadh with a happy ending. But these things happen. So we just have to accept this decision. I hope I can participate there in November," she said.