American No. 3 Coco Gauff lost to Elise Mertens 6-3, 6-3 in the China Open second round on Wednesday, ending her run in Beijing after receiving what she described as an "insane" amount of racist comments on social media. Gauff's defeat came after a controversial point in her first-round match against 16-year-old home player Sun Xinran, where a flickering light panel led the chair umpire to order a replay of a point Gauff ultimately won.
How did the controversial point unfold?
Gauff was serving to stay in the first set at 4-5 when Sun appeared to have hit a winner, but Gauff raised her hand to stop play due to a flickering light in the side panels around the court. The chair umpire ordered the point to be replayed, and Gauff took the next three points to hold for 5-5, then dropped just one more game to win the match.
What impact did the abuse have on Gauff's performance?
Gauff told reporters in Beijing that the online abuse had been "draining" and acknowledged it affected her play against Mertens. When trailing 6-3, 4-1 to Mertens, Gauff told her box she had no energy and felt she might pass out. She later explained that she simply did not move well and performed poorly overall, though she attempted to clarify the situation on social media, calling it an "unfortunate situation" beyond her control and praising Sun as an "incredible talent and player."
What comes next?
Iga Swiatek advanced to the quarter-finals of the China Open, while Mertens snapped a losing streak against Gauff with her first win in six matches against the American.
Sources
- Sky Sports: Coco Gauff admits being drained by online racist abuse after shock defeat to Elise Mertens at China Open. Sky Sports, 2026-10-07.
Reported from public sources.