Coco Gauff Faces Racist Online Backlash After China Open Controversy

Coco Gauff is speaking out against racist online abuse after a disputed call at the China Open sparked a wave of backlash.

The 22-year-old American tennis star said the harassment followed her third-round victory over Chinese teenager Sun Xinran in Beijing. Gauff won 7-5, 6-1 on Oct. 5, but a controversial point late in the first set triggered accusations of cheating on social media, according to The Guardian. During the rally, Gauff stopped play after noticing flickering lights on electronic advertising boards around the court. Sun appeared poised to win the point, but the chair umpire ordered it replayed. Gauff subsequently won the match. The decision became a flashpoint online, with Gauff receiving racist comments and direct messages.

“Hey everyone, you can dislike me or disagree about what happened without being racist,” Gauff wrote in a response on X. “The amount of racist comments/dms I’ve received in the last few hours is insane,” she added.

The fallout continued into Gauff’s next match, when she lost to Belgium’s Elise Mertens, 6-3, 6-3, in the round of 16 on Oct. 7. Gauff acknowledged that the online attacks had affected her.

“It has been kind of draining, I’m not going to lie,” she told reporters in Beijing, according to Yahoo Sports. “I just turn off my phone and move on. There’s nothing you can do.”

The defeat featured eight double faults and 34 unforced errors from Gauff, who described her performance as flat. She also told her team during the match that she had no energy and felt as though she might pass out. Gauff maintained that she had followed the rules during the disputed point. She also expressed sympathy for Sun, saying she apologized after the match and that the young player understood the situation.

The Women’s Tennis Association condemned the abuse and said it was in contact with Gauff to offer support.

“We are appalled by the racial abuse directed at Coco Gauff,” a WTA spokesperson said, according to The Guardian.

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