Coco Gauff Denounces ‘Insane’ Racism After Contested China Open Point

Coco Gauff has described the volume of racially abusive messages she received on social media as “insane,” following a contentious ruling during her China Open clash against Chinese qualifier Sun Xinran.

The incident occurred late in the first set of Gauff’s 7-5, 6-1 third-round win. The American halted play as the electronic advertising boards surrounding the court flickered during a rally. Sun, who claimed the US Open junior title earlier this year, was poised to win the point.

Addressing the backlash directly on X, Gauff, who is Black, wrote: “Hey everyone, you can dislike me or disagree about what happened without being racist.” She noted the influx of hate in recent hours and clarified her position: “Lastly, I‘m not a cheater or a thief.”

When Gauff stopped the rally, the chair umpire ruled that the point should be replayed. Gauff, the No. 4-ranked two-time Grand Slam champion, subsequently dominated the match on Monday.

“I think it’s weird I’m getting hate for following the rules. Xinran is [an] incredible talent and player, I apologized for the situation at the end of the match and she completely understood,” Gauff added in a further post.

Sun, a wild-card recipient making her WTA Tour debut, was visibly distraught after the exit. Gauff, who reached the Wimbledon fourth round at age 15 in 2019, expressed sympathy for her compatriot. “I did not like to see her so emotional as I’ve been there and I really understand what it is like but this is just the beginning of an incredible career,” Gauff said. “It was an honour to share the court in front of her home crowd.”

The flickering display panels caused similar disruption earlier in the week. During a Sunday men’s quarter-final between Alexander Zverev and Novak Djokovic, the umpire similarly granted a replay after Zverev raised concerns about the boards. Gauff is set to face Elise Mertens in the Round of 16 on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Jannik Sinner confirmed on Tuesday that he will be out for the rest of the year due to an injured knee.

“On the advice of his medical team, Jannik Sinner will follow a course of treatment for inflammation in his knee,” his team said in a statement. “The decision has been made to have the treatment now to give Jannik the necessary time to recover before beginning preparations for 2027. As a result, Jannik will be unable to compete again during the 2026 season.”

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