Coco Gauff says she received an “insane” amount of racial abuse on social media after beating local teenager Sun Xinran at the China Open.
The American won 7-5, 6-1 on Monday to reach the fourth round but was targeted after stopping play during a crucial point in the first set.
She raised her hand to complain about a flickering advertising board just as Sun was about to put away a winner.
After a video review, the umpire ordered the point to be replayed.
Gauff won the replayed point and held serve for 5-5 before cruising to victory against her 16-year-old opponent.
The two-time major singles champion said she received a barrage of abusive messages on social media after the match.
“You can dislike me or disagree about what happened without being racist,” Gauff wrote on X in reply to a post containing a racial slur.
“The amount of racist comments/direct messages I’ve received in the last few hours is insane.
“Lastly, I’m not a cheater or a thief.”
The WTA has made efforts to tackle online abuse by introducing an AI-powered system that monitors thousands of players and officials on social media.
A study by the WTA and World Tennis showed players were subjected to over 12,000 abusive posts and messages on social media in 2025, up from 8,000 posts a year earlier.
Gauff explained she was following the rules when she challenged the point.
Players are allowed to request video reviews of select judgement calls, including claims a distraction may have interfered with play.
Gauff said she spoke to Sun about the point at the end of the match.
“I apologised for the situation at the end of the match and she completely understood,” Gauff wrote.
“I didn’t like to see her so emotional as I’ve been there and I really understand what it’s like but this is the beginning of an incredible career.
“It was an honour to share the court in front of her home crowd.”
Reuters
By
