Coco Gauff Reveals 'Insane' Wave of Racist Abuse After China Open Replay Controversy

American tennis star Coco Gauff has spoken out after being hit with a flood of racist messages on social media following her third-round victory over Chinese teenager Sun Xinran at the China Open in Beijing, a match that was overshadowed by a disputed point that had to be replayed.

The two-time Grand Slam champion defeated the 16-year-old local hope 7-5, 6-1 on October 5 to advance to the fourth round, but the result was quickly eclipsed by an online storm that erupted over a stoppage in play during a pivotal moment in the opening set.

The flashpoint came when Gauff raised her hand to complain about a flickering advertising board just as Sun appeared poised to strike a winner. The interruption halted the point at a critical juncture, and after officials reviewed video footage of the incident, the umpire ordered the point to be replayed.

Gauff went on to win the replayed point, holding serve to level the first set at 5-5 before pulling away to close out the match against her younger opponent. However, the sequence of events provoked a fierce reaction from some spectators online, who accused the American of gamesmanship and worse.

In the hours that followed, Gauff, who is Black, said her social media accounts were inundated with abusive content. Responding early on Tuesday to a post on X that contained a racial slur, she addressed the situation directly and pushed back against characterizations of her conduct.

"You can dislike me or disagree about what happened without being racist," Gauff wrote, making clear that criticism of her on-court decision should not cross into racial hostility. She added that "the amount of racist comments/direct messages I've received in the last few hours is insane," describing the scale of the abuse as overwhelming.

The 22-year-old also rejected suggestions that she had acted improperly during the match. "Lastly, I'm not a cheater or a thief," she stated, defending her decision to challenge the point under the sport's rules.

Gauff went on to explain that she was fully within her rights to request the review. Under tennis regulations, players are permitted to ask for video reviews of certain judgement calls, including claims that an external distraction may have interfered with play. The flickering advertising board, she indicated, fell squarely into that category.

The incident has thrust the issue of online abuse in tennis back into the spotlight, a problem that the women's professional tour has been grappling with for several years as social media platforms become an increasingly hostile environment for athletes.

The WTA has previously introduced an artificial intelligence-powered monitoring system designed to track threats, harassment, and abusive messages directed at thousands of players and officials across social media. The tool was rolled out as part of a broader effort to identify and shield competitors from the most severe forms of online vitriol.

Data published jointly by the WTA and World Tennis underscores how quickly the problem is escalating. According to their research, players were subjected to more than 12,000 abusive posts and messages on social media in 2025, a sharp rise from roughly 8,000 the previous year.

Despite such measures, high-profile incidents continue to surface, and Gauff's experience in Beijing is unlikely to be an isolated case. The abuse she described reflects a pattern that has affected athletes across multiple sports, with racist and misogynistic attacks frequently following controversial moments in competition.

Notably, Gauff took care to distinguish between legitimate criticism of her actions and the racist abuse she received, acknowledging that people are entitled to disagree with what happened on court. Her comments suggested she accepts scrutiny of her professional decisions but drew a firm line at attacks based on her race.

She also addressed the human dimension of the controversy, revealing that she had spoken with Sun after the match and apologized for the situation that left the teenager visibly emotional. Gauff said the conversation ended with mutual understanding between the two players.

"Xinran's an incredible talent and player, I apologised for the situation at the end of the match and she completely understood," Gauff wrote. She added that she took no pleasure in seeing her opponent upset, noting that she has experienced similar emotions on court herself.

"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," Gauff said. She closed by describing it as "an honour to share the court in front of her home crowd," a gesture of respect toward both Sun and the Chinese spectators who had come out to support the local favourite.

The episode illustrates the pressure faced by players navigating high-stakes matches in front of partisan crowds, where split-second decisions can be magnified into global controversies within hours. It also highlights the double burden carried by athletes of colour, who must contend not only with professional scrutiny but with racist harassment that often follows controversial moments.

Gauff's willingness to speak publicly about the abuse continues a trend among prominent tennis players who have used their platforms to demand stronger protections from governing bodies and social media companies alike. As the tour's monitoring systems collect ever more data on the scale of the problem, the incident in Beijing serves as a reminder that technology alone cannot fully shield players from the worst impulses of online audiences.