Coco Gauff qualified for the round of 16 at the WTA Beijing after defeating 16-year-old Sun Xinran, but the American player's victory was overshadowed by controversy and racist abuse directed at her online. During the first set at 5-5 and 15-15 with Gauff serving, she stopped play to request a point replay, citing distraction from changing lights on the side screens.
Why did Gauff request the point replay?
Gauff stopped the point she was losing because the changing lights on the side screens had distracted her, according to reporting on the incident. The request occurred at a critical moment in the match, and the point was replayed as permitted under WTA regulations.
What happened after the match?
Gauff faced a wave of racist comments and private messages on social media following the incident. She responded publicly on X, stating, "I may not be liked or you may disagree with what happened without being racist. The amount of racist comments and private messages I have received in the last few hours is crazy. Lastly, I am neither a cheater nor a thief." She later issued a longer statement clarifying that her action was correct according to tournament rules and that critics should consult the regulations rather than resort to insults.
Is this rule precedent in professional tennis?
A similar situation occurred when Alexander Zverev requested a point replay against Novak Djokovic due to changing lights on the fences, also generating scrutiny because both players had requested replays during points they were losing. According to the rule, players may complain about such distractions and the point is replayed, though both cases drew attention because of the timing and circumstances.
Gauff's advancement to the round of 16 marks progress in the tournament, though the off-court controversy highlighted ongoing issues with online abuse in professional tennis.
Sources
- Puntodebreak: Gauff defends herself after her controversy in Beijing: "I'm not a cheater or a thief". Pedro de Pablos, 2026-10-05.
Reported from public sources.