Coco Gauff has hit back at an “insane” wave of racist abuse on social media after her controversial China Open victory over home teenager Sun Xinran on Monday.The American, a two-time Grand Slam champion, defeated the 16-year-old 7-5, 6-1 to reach the fourth round in Beijing, but found herself targeted online after an incident late in the opening set.Gauff stopped play during a crucial rally after noticing a flickering advertising board courtside, just as Sun appeared poised to put away a winner. The chair umpire subsequently ordered the point to be replayed after a video review, and Gauff won the replay before holding serve to level the set at 5-5.
Gauff responds to racist messages
The incident triggered a backlash on social media, with Gauff saying she was subjected to a barrage of abusive messages following the match. Responding to a post containing a racial slur on X early Tuesday, the 22-year-old American made clear that criticism of her actions did not justify racist abuse.“You can dislike me or disagree about what happened without being racist,” Gauff wrote. “The amount of racist comments/direct messages I’ve received in the last few hours is insane.“Lastly, I’m not a cheater or a thief.”Gauff also explained that she had acted within the rules by challenging the point. Players can request video reviews for certain judgment calls, including situations in which a distraction may have interfered with play.The scale of online abuse directed at tennis players has been a growing concern for the WTA. The governing body has introduced an AI-powered system to monitor thousands of social-media posts involving players and officials. A study by the WTA and World Tennis found that players were subjected to more than 12,000 abusive posts and messages in 2025, up from around 8,000 the previous year.
What happened during the controversial point?
The controversy began when Gauff stopped a rally after electronic advertising boards around the court flickered during the point. Sun appeared to be on course to win the rally when Gauff raised her hand and stopped play. Following a video review, the umpire ruled that the point should be replayed. Gauff won the replayed point and then held serve to make it 5-5 before taking control of the match.Gauff said she had spoken to Sun after the contest and apologised for the situation. The Chinese teenager, who received a wildcard for the tournament and was making her WTA Tour debut, appeared emotional following the defeat. She had recently won the US Open junior title.“Xinran’s an incredible talent and player, I apologised for the situation at the end of the match and she completely understood,” Gauff wrote.“I didn’t like to see her so emotional as I’ve been there and I really understand what it’s like but this is the beginning of an incredible career. It was an honour to share the court in front of her home crowd.”Gauff, who herself reached the Wimbledon fourth round as a 15-year-old in 2019, said she understood the emotions Sun was experiencing after such a high-profile match. Despite the controversy surrounding the replayed point, Gauff recovered to win comfortably and advance to the fourth round of the China Open.