Coco Gauff condemns racist abuse after disputed point at China Open

Coco Gauff said Tuesday that she received an “insane” amount of racist abuse following a disputed point during her China Open victory against Chinese teen Sun Xinran.

The incident occurred late in the first set of the third-round match Monday when the Black American tennis star stopped playing after electronic advertising boards beside the court flickered during a rally.

Sun appeared to be in control of the point, but the chair umpire ordered it to be replayed. Gauff went on to win the match 7-5, 6-1 and advance to the last 16.

The decision prompted criticism on social media, including accusations that Gauff cheated.

“Hey everyone, you can dislike me or disagree about what happened without being racist,” the 22-year-old wrote on US social media company 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.”

The two-time Grand Slam champion and world No. 4 said she had apologized to Sun after the match.

“Xinran is an incredible talent and player. I apologized for the situation at the end of the match and she completely understood,” she wrote separately.

Sun, 16, was competing in her first WTA Tour event after receiving a wild card from tournament organizers.

Gauff expressed sympathy for the visibly emotional teen, saying she understood the pressures of competing on a major stage at a young age.

“This is just the beginning of an incredible career,” she said. “It was an honor to share the court in front of her home crowd.”