UN condemns racist abuse of Coco Gauff after China Open

The United Nations human rights office has condemned the racist abuse sent to Coco Gauff on social media. In a post on Saturday 10 October, the office said the messages aimed at the American were appalling and had no place in sport, The Guardian.

The office, led by High Commissioner Volker Türk, said the abuse illustrates that Black female athletes are specifically targeted for vitriol and racial abuse. It said there is no place in sport for racial or sexist slurs and abuse. Plain words. Firm ones.

Gauff is a two-time Grand Slam champion, a winner of two of tennis's four biggest titles, and is ranked world No. 4. She is one of the most recognisable players in the women's game, and her matches draw a huge online audience. That profile has often brought extra scrutiny as well as support.

The American said she received an "insane" amount of racist comments after a disputed point in her China Open match against Sun Xinran. A disputed point is a call the players and officials do not agree on, and in tennis those moments can turn a crowd and an online conversation very quickly. Gauff spoke openly about the volume and nature of what followed.

Two days after the match with Sun, Gauff lost to Elise Mertens. She said afterwards she had "no energy" and felt as though she would pass out. She was drained. The defeat ended her run at the tournament.

The UN office urged players, coaches and sports bodies to stand up for those facing such attacks. It also called on fans to push back against racism and sexism in sport, The Guardian. The message was directed beyond tennis, to anyone involved in watching or running games.

What makes this stand out is the voice saying it. Tennis authorities regularly condemn online abuse of players. For the UN's human rights office to step in underlines how serious this episode was judged to be, and how familiar the pattern has become for Black women in elite sport.