Coco Gauff said she was bombarded by an “insane” amount of racist comments on social media after winning a controversial point at the China Open on Monday in Beijing.
The U.S. tennis star halted a first-set rally with 16-year-old Chinese hopeful Sun Xinran after the electronic advertising boards along the court flickered during play. After Sun appeared to win the point, the chair umpire ordered it to be replayed.
Gauff went on to win the third-round match 7-5, 6-1 against Sun, who won the U.S. Open junior title this summer, but said she soon was inundated with racially charged comments.
“Hey everyone, you can dislike me or disagree about what happened without being racist,” Gauff, who is Black, said in a reply on X. “The amount of racist comments/DMs I’ve received in the last few hours is insane. Lastly, I’m not a cheater or a thief.”
Gauff explained in an Instagram post why she stopped playing the point.
“We are told before the matches we are allowed to continue to finish play so KEEP IT MIND I am thinking about all of this while I’m playing the point,” she wrote. “Anything can be challenged after the point is over (as in most sports you can review a call after the play is over, I personally think is the correct rule). If I would’ve lost the point my opponent is also free to do the same thing and ask for a replay and she would’ve have been completely in her right to do so.”
Gauff continued, “It was an unfortunate situation but it is out of my control, the think pieces and calling me an unfair (player) is ridiculous when those are the rules. I did not make them, I think it’s weird I’m getting hate for following the rules. Xinran is incredible talent and player, I apologized for the situation at the end of the match and she completely understood.”
Sun was making her WTA Tour debut as a wild-card entry in the tournament. She appeared distraught following the loss to Gauff, 22, a two-time Grand Slam winner ranked No. 4 in the world.
“I did not like to see her so emotional as I’ve been there and I really understand what it is like but this is just the beginning of an incredible career,” Gauff said. “It was an honor to share the court in front of her home crowd.”
–Field Level Media
