Coco Gauff Condemns Racist Abuse After Replayed Point in China Open Win Over Sun Xinran
Coco Gauff has spoken out about a wave of racist abuse she received online after a replayed point in her China Open win over 16-year-old wildcard Sun Xinran in Beijing. The world No. 4 beat the Chinese teenager 7–5, 6–1 in the third round on Monday 5 October. Hours later, Gauff said the volume of racist comments and messages she had received was “insane”, CBS News reported.
The Coco Gauff racist abuse row centred on a single point late in the first set. The episode has drawn coverage from news outlets around the world.
What Happened on the Disputed Point
With the set level at 5–5 and Gauff serving, Sun appeared ready to hit a winner. However, Gauff raised her hand to stop play, saying electronic advertising boards had flickered as she struck the ball, Al Jazeera reported.
After a video review, the chair umpire ordered the point to be replayed. Gauff won the replay and held serve, and the home crowd booed the decision, according to CBS News.
The American then went on to close out the first set and dominated the second. The defeat ended Sun’s WTA Tour debut, which came after she was handed a wildcard by the organisers.
Coco Gauff Responds to Racist Abuse
Gauff addressed the backlash on social media soon after the match. “You can dislike me or disagree about what happened without being racist,” she wrote, as quoted by theGrio.
She also explained her decision to stop play. Players are allowed to request video reviews on certain judgement calls, Gauff said, and she believed the flickering boards justified a replay under the rules.
In addition, Gauff denied claims that she had cheated. She said she had apologised to Sun at the end of the match and that the teenager “completely understood”, according to CBS News.
Praise for 16-Year-Old Sun Xinran
Despite the controversy, Gauff was full of praise for her opponent. She described Sun as “an incredible talent” and said it was an honour to share the court with her in front of a home crowd, theGrio reported.
Sun was clearly emotional after the defeat, the Associated Press reported. CBS News noted that she had recently won the US Open junior title before making her tour-level debut in Beijing.
Online Abuse in Tennis
The incident adds to wider concerns about abuse aimed at players online. The WTA now uses an AI monitoring system across social media platforms to flag abusive posts directed at players and officials, Al Jazeera reported.
According to the same report, a 2025 study found that players faced more than 12,000 abusive posts in a year, up from around 8,000 the year before. The WTA had not issued a statement specific to Gauff’s case at the time of reporting.
What’s Next for Coco Gauff After the Racist Abuse Row
Gauff, a two-time Grand Slam champion, was due to face Elise Mertens in the last 16 on Wednesday, according to CBS Sports.
Elsewhere in the draw, Karolína Muchová needed nine match points to beat Naomi Osaka. Read our report on Muchová’s China Open thriller, and see how points work in our explainer on WTA rankings.
