Coco Gauff says ‘senseless’ wave of racist abuse followed controversial point at China Open | Tennis

Coco Gauff says she received an “insane” amount of racist comments on social media following a controversial point during her China Open match against local player Sun Xinran.

Gauff stopped a rally after electronic billboards lining the court flashed during a point late in the first set of her 7-5, 6-1 third-round victory over Sun, a 16-year-old who recently won the U.S. Open junior title.

“Hey everyone, you can dislike me or disagree with what happened without being racist,” Gauff said in a reply on

Sun looked set to win the point when Gauff stopped playing. The chair umpire then ordered the point to be replayed. Gauff, a two-time Grand Slam champion ranked No. 4, took control of the match on Monday.

“I think it’s weird that I’m getting hate for following the rules. Xinran is (an) amazing talent and player, I apologized for the situation at the end of the match and she completely understood,” Gauff added in another post.

Sun, who was given a wildcard by tournament organizers and was making her WTA Tour debut, looked distraught after the defeat. Gauff, who reached the fourth round of Wimbledon as a 15-year-old in 2019, sympathized with Sun. “I didn’t like seeing her as emotional as I was there and I really understand what it’s like, but this is just the beginning of an incredible career,” Gauff said. “It was an honor to share the field in front of your home crowd.”