Coco Gauff advanced past 16-year-old Sun Xinran at the China Open on Tuesday but was defeated by Elise Mertens 6-3, 6-3 in the following round, a result Gauff attributed to poor form rather than the emotional toll of online racist abuse she received after the Sun match.
What happened in the Sun Xinran match?
Gauff was serving at 4-5 down in the first set when Sun appeared to have hit a winner, but Gauff raised her hand to stop the point because a light in the side panels around the court was flickering. The chair umpire ordered the point to be replayed. Gauff won the next three points to hold for 5-5 and dropped only one more game in the match to advance.
How did the racist abuse affect Gauff?
Gauff described the online racist comments she received following the Sun match as "insane" and said the experience had been "draining." According to Sky Sports, when trailing 6-3, 4-1 to Mertens, Gauff told her team: "I have no energy. I'm trying, I have no energy. I can't see the ball, I feel like I'm going to pass out." When asked by reporters in Beijing whether the abuse had affected her performance, Gauff said: "It has been kind of draining, I'm not going to lie. I just turn off my phone and move on. There's nothing you can do." She added that she had not played well and attributed her loss to poor movement and overall execution rather than the abuse alone.
What did Gauff say about the controversial point?
Gauff posted on social media that the situation with Sun was "unfortunate but it is out of my control" and acknowledged Sun as an "incredible talent and player," offering an apology for the circumstances. The American has a strong record in China and remains a top-ranked player on the WTA tour.
Sources
- Sky Sports: Coco Gauff admits being drained by online racist abuse after shock defeat to Elise Mertens at China Open. Published 2026-10-07.
Reported from public sources.