Coco Gauff Addresses Racial Abuse Following Controversial Match at China Open

Coco Gauff, an American tennis player, faced racial abuse on social media after her Round of 32 victory over Sun Xinran at the China Open. The controversy arose when Gauff requested a replay of a point due to flickering LED boards during the rally. Following the match, Gauff received racist messages, prompting her to respond on social media. "Hey everyone, you can dislike me or disagree about what happened without being racist," she stated on X, referencing a vulgar post that included a racial epithet. She added, "The amount of racist comments/DMs I’ve received in the last few hours is insane. Lastly, I’m not a cheater or a thief." In the match, Gauff was trailing 5-4 when she raised her arm to signal for a replay. The chair umpire ruled in her favor after a video review, and Gauff ultimately won the match 7-6, 6-1. Some fans expressed anger over her decision, especially after broadcasters noted the LED boards had flickered before the point. Gauff elaborated on her reasoning in an Instagram comment, explaining that she was uncertain about the flickering at the start of the point but believed she had the right to challenge the call. She praised Xinran, who recently won the junior U.S. Open, and criticized the backlash against her. "It was an unfortunate situation but it is out of my control, the think pieces and calling me unfair is ridiculous when those are the rules," she wrote. Gauff expressed her respect for Xinran and acknowledged the emotional impact of the match on her opponent.