Coco Gauff revealed that she has endured an emotionally “draining” period following a wave of racist harassment online, prior to her fourth-round exit at the China Open.
The American star was targeted by an overwhelming amount of racist commentary and direct messages following a controversial moment during her third-round victory over 16-year-old Sun Xinran on Monday.
During the match, Sun believed she had struck a winner late in the first set; however, Gauff signaled to halt play due to a flickering light in the court’s side panels. Following a video review—a procedure players are permitted to request—the point was replayed. Gauff ultimately won the point and went on to secure the match victory.
The 22-year-old issued a detailed statement clarifying the incident and subsequently condemned the vitriolic racial abuse directed at her.
Gauff’s run in the tournament ended on Wednesday, where she fell to Elise Mertens in straight sets, 6-3, 6-3.
When asked about her mental state over the previous 36 hours, Gauff admitted, “It has been kind of draining, I’m not going to lie. I just turn off my phone and move on. I mean, there’s nothing you can do.”
A spokesperson for the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) expressed outrage over the abuse, stating the organization is in contact with Gauff to offer its full support. In a statement provided to AFP, the governing body confirmed it is “seeking action” regarding the abusive content.
Gauff, the 2024 Beijing champion, struggled during her match against Mertens, recording 34 unforced errors and eight double faults.
“I was just a bit flat. That’s the main thing,” Gauff remarked. “The level was there at some points, I just didn’t sustain it the whole match.”
Belgium’s Mertens is set to face former world number one Iga Swiatek in the quarter-finals, following Swiatek’s 6-1, 6-3 victory over American teenager Iva Jovic.
In other news, Britain’s Arthur Fery secured a first-round victory at the Shanghai Masters by defeating Marin Cilic 7-6 (7-2), 6-1.
After recovering from a deficit in the first set, the 24-year-old dominated the former US Open champion in the second to claim his first ATP Tour victory since August. Fery will move on to face Russia’s 26th seed, Karen Khachanov.
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