Coco Gauff targeted with racist abuse after China Open match
Coco Gauff faced a wave of racist abuse online following her victory over teenager Sun Xinran in the China Open, reports BritPanorama.
During the match, Gauff halted play after noticing a flickering light on the side panels around the court while serving at 4-5 in the opening set. This moment occurred just as Sun appeared to have hit a winning shot.
The rules allow players to request video reviews in such situations if they believe a hindrance has disrupted play. Following Gauff’s intervention, the point was replayed, which she won, subsequently levelling the set to 5-5 before winning it 7-5. She then dominated the second set, winning 6-1 to secure her place in the tournament’s last 16.
However, the incident sparked a torrent of abusive messages aimed at Gauff. In a social media post elaborating on the situation, she described it as “an unfortunate situation” that was “out of my control.” She noted that Sun had accepted her apology and understood the circumstances surrounding the disruption.
Gauff commented, “I think it’s weird I’m getting hate for following the rules.” She emphasized the importance of adhering to the regulations in a tense match environment, stating, “We are told before the matches we are allowed to continue to finish play… Anything can be challenged after the point is over.”
She further explained, “It was an unfortunate situation but it is out of my control. Xinran is an incredible talent and player. I apologised for the situation at the end of the match and she completely understood.” Gauff added, “You can dislike me or disagree about what happened without being racist.”
The racist commentary she received has been part of a distressing trend; a report from July highlighted that female tennis players encountered over 12,000 abusive posts and messages on social media in 2025 alone. Both the WTA and World Tennis have called for decisive action to tackle this growing issue.
In the ever-evolving landscape of sport, the intersection of performance and societal issues remains complex, illustrating the pressing need for awareness and accountability in all spheres of competition.
