Coco Gauff says she has received an “insane” amount of racial abuse on social media after the two-time Grand Slam champion beat local teenager Sun Xinran at the China Open in a third-round match, where a replayed point prompted an online backlash. The American tennis star won 7-5, 6-1 to reach the fourth round, but was targeted after stopping play during a crucial point in the first set, raising her hand to complain about a flickering advertising board just as Sun was about to put away a winner. After a video review, the umpire ordered a replay.
Gauff won the replayed point and held serve for 5-5 before cruising to victory against the 16-year-old Chinese. Gauff said she had received a barrage of abusive messages on social media after the match. The WTA has made efforts to tackle the issue of online abuse by introducing an AI-powered system which monitors thousands of players and officials on social media.
A study by the WTA and World Tennis showed players were subjected to more than 12,000 abusive posts and messages on social media in 2025, up from 8,000 posts a year earlier. Gauff also explained that she was following the rules when she challenged the point. Players are allowed to request video reviews of select judgement calls, including claims a distraction may have interfered with play.
The 22-year-old said she had spoken to Sun about the point at the end of the match. It was an honour to share the court in front of her home crowd.”
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