Coco Gauff reported receiving significant racial abuse on social media after her match against China's Sun Xinran at the China Open. Gauff, a two-time Grand Slam champion, won the match 7-5, 6-1 but faced backlash for stopping play during a crucial point in the first set due to a flickering advertising board. The umpire ordered a replay after a video review, which Gauff won, allowing her to hold serve and eventually win the match.
In a post on X, Gauff stated, "You can dislike me or disagree about what happened without being racist," and described the volume of racist comments she received as "insane." The Women's Tennis Association (WTA) has been working to combat online abuse through an AI-powered system that monitors social media interactions involving players and officials. A study by the WTA and World Tennis indicated that players faced over 12,000 abusive posts and messages in 2025, an increase from 8,000 the previous year.
Gauff clarified that she followed the rules when challenging the point, as players are permitted to request video reviews for certain judgment calls, including distractions during play. After the match, she communicated with Sun, expressing her understanding of the emotional situation. "Xinran’s an incredible talent and player, I apologised for the situation at the end of the match and she completely understood," Gauff noted, emphasizing the honor of competing in front of Sun's home crowd.