Coco Gauff Condemns 'Insane' Racist Abuse After China Open Replay Row

Coco Gauff Condemns ‘Insane’ Racist Abuse After China Open Replay Row

Coco Gauff’s China Open run was overshadowed on Tuesday by an ugly online backlash, as the American star revealed she had been flooded with racist abuse on social media after a disputed replayed point in her win over home teenager Sun Xinran.

The 22-year-old, a two-time Grand Slam champion, beat the 16-year-old Chinese qualifier 7-5, 6-1 on Monday to reach the fourth round in Beijing. But the victory turned sour when a single point in the first set triggered cheating accusations and, Gauff said, a barrage of racial slurs in her messages and replies.

What happened in the Beijing replay row

The flashpoint came with Gauff serving to stay in the first set at 4-5, 15-15. As Sun shaped to put away what looked like a certain winner, Gauff raised her hand to stop play, complaining that the advertising boards behind the court had flickered and distracted her.

After a video review, the chair umpire agreed the changing displays amounted to a hindrance and ordered the point to be replayed. Gauff won the replayed point, held serve for 5-5, and then pulled away to take the set and the match.

Clips of the incident spread quickly online, and many fans accused the American of gamesmanship, arguing she had played through the flickering boards earlier in the rally. The criticism then crossed a line, with Gauff saying she received a wave of racist messages in the hours after the match.

Coco Gauff: ‘I’m not a cheater or a thief’

Responding on X early on Tuesday, Gauff confronted the abuse directly while insisting she had done nothing wrong.

“You can dislike me or disagree about what happened without being racist,” she wrote 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.”

She explained that she had acted within the rules. Players may request video reviews of certain judgement calls, including claims that an outside distraction interfered with play. The umpire’s decision to replay the point backed her reading of the rules.

Gauff also said she had spoken to Sun about the incident at the end of the match and apologised. “Xinran’s an incredible talent and player, I apologised for the situation at the end of the match and she completely understood,” she wrote.

Tennis faces a growing abuse problem

The episode has put the spotlight back on the volume of online abuse aimed at players, particularly women and players of colour. The WTA runs an AI-powered monitoring system that tracks thousands of players and officials across social media to detect abusive messages.

The scale of the problem is rising. A study by the WTA and World Tennis found players were subjected to more than 12,000 abusive posts and messages on social media in 2025, up from 8,000 a year earlier.

Reuters said it had contacted the WTA and the Beijing tournament organisers for comment on the abuse directed at Gauff.

On court, Gauff’s focus now turns to the fourth round, where she faces Elise Mertens. The American is chasing her second WTA title of the year after winning the Cincinnati Open in August.

Why was the point replayed in Gauff’s match?

Gauff stopped play because the LED advertising boards behind the court flickered during the rally. After a video review, the umpire ruled the changing displays were a hindrance, which under the rules means the point is replayed.

What did Coco Gauff say about the racist abuse?

She wrote on X that the amount of racist comments and direct messages she had received was “insane”, told critics they could disagree with her without being racist, and added: “Lastly, I’m not a cheater or a thief.”

Who does Coco Gauff play next at the China Open?

Gauff faces Elise Mertens in the fourth round in Beijing as she continues her bid for a second WTA title of the season.