Gauff says racist abuse was draining after China Open exit
Coco Gauff is out of the China Open after a 6-3, 6-3 fourth-round defeat by Elise Mertens in Beijing on Wednesday.
The world No. 4 said the past few days had been "draining" after she received racist abuse online following her previous match at the tournament, BBC reported.
Gauff, a two-time Grand Slam champion, described the volume of messages as an "insane" amount. She said racist comments and direct messages arrived after her third-round win over 16-year-old Sun Xinran on Monday.
The row centred on one disputed point late in the first set of that match. Gauff stopped play because of a flickering light in the side panels, just as Sun thought she had hit a clean winner.
After a video review, the umpire ordered the point to be replayed. Gauff won the replayed point and then won the match, a sequence that sparked anger from some users online.
Gauff said she deals with that abuse by switching off her phone and moving on. "There's nothing you can do," she said.
The Women's Tennis Association said it was appalled by the abuse. It said it was in contact with Gauff to offer full support and was seeking action against the abusive content.
On court against Mertens, Gauff never settled. She hit 34 unforced errors, mistakes made without pressure from her opponent, and eight double faults, when the serve lands out twice in a row to lose the point.
It was a sharp reversal of their history. Gauff had won all five of their previous meetings before this match in Beijing, where she lifted the title in 2024.
Mertens, ranked 19th, played clean and direct tennis and took her chances. The event is a WTA 1000, one rung below the four Grand Slams and the level where ranking points and prize money are at their highest outside the majors.
She will now face Iga Swiatek in the quarter-finals. Swiatek beat Iva Jovic 6-1, 6-3 to reach the last eight.
What makes this stand out is how familiar the pattern has become. A tight call, a replay, a result. Then the phone lights up. Gauff spoke calmly about it. The numbers told the rest.
