Coco Gauff condemns racist abuse after disputed point replay at China Open

Disputed point at the China Open

During a third-round match at the China Open in Beijing on Monday, American world number four Coco Gauff halted play during a critical moment in the opening set against 16-year-old Chinese player Sun Xinran. Serving at 4-5 and 15-15, Gauff approached the net and hit a weak volley before raising her hand to stop the rally, just as Sun was positioned to hit a winner. Gauff signaled to the chair umpire that flickering LED advertising boards on the court perimeter had distracted her during the exchange. Following a video review permitted under WTA rules for distraction claims, the umpire ruled in Gauff's favor and ordered the point to be replayed. Sun was visibly emotional and fighting tears during the subsequent changeover.

Match outcome and social media backlash

Gauff went on to win the replayed point and the next two points, holding serve to tie the first set at 5-5 before taking the set 7-5. She dropped only one game in the second set, completing a 7-5, 6-1 victory to secure a place in the round of 16. Following the contest, Gauff faced an influx of hostile messages and racial slurs on social media platforms from users accusing her of gamesmanship. In response to a direct post containing a racial slur on X early on Tuesday, the 22-year-old two-time Grand Slam champion addressed the hostility directly.

You can dislike me or disagree about what happened without being racist.

In subsequent statements on social media, Gauff emphasized that she followed the established review rules and did not make the final determination herself. She noted that she was neither a cheater nor a thief, adding that she spoke with Sun immediately after the match to clear the air.

Xinran's an incredible talent and player, I apologised for the situation at the end of the match and she completely understood.

Support and player protection

Former world number one and three-time Wimbledon champion Boris Becker publicly defended Gauff on social media, reposting her comments and urging her to disregard the hostile messages.

You are a proud Black woman and we love you! Don't care about the comments of these ignorant, stupid people and don't look at them.

The incident aligns with broader data on online hostility directed at professional tennis players. To mitigate targeted harassment, the WTA operates an AI-powered monitoring system that tracks thousands of player and official accounts across social platforms. A study conducted by the WTA and World Tennis documented a rise in abuse directed at competitors over consecutive years.

According to the joint study, female players received more than 12,000 abusive messages and posts across social media in 2025, compared to 8,000 recorded in 2024. Both organizations stated that collective action across the sport remains necessary to curb online harassment.