American tennis star Coco Gauff faced a wave of racist abuse on social media following her Round of 32 victory at the China Open. The controversy erupted after Gauff successfully requested a replay during a tight first-set game when LED courtside boards flickered, culminating in a 7-5, 6-1 win over 16-year-old Sun Xinran.
The match in Beijing shifted on a contested moment late in the opening set. Serving at 4-5, Gauff watched as her Chinese opponent prepared for what looked like a winner. Before the shot was struck, the world number four raised her arm and hand to stop play, pointing to a flickering light in the LED side panels surrounding the court at the National Tennis Center.
https://x.com/CocoGauff/status/2107182293618151886
The chair umpire reviewed the situation and ruled in Gauff’s favor, allowing the point to be replayed. Gauff subsequently won the next three points to level the score at 5-5, eventually capturing the first set and dominating the second to close out a 7-5, 6-1 victory.
Coco Gauff Defends Rule Application Amid Fan Backlash
While the chair umpire enforced the video review protocol, the decision drew sharp criticism from spectators and online observers. Broadcasters noted that the LED boards had been flickering earlier in the exchange and that Gauff had initially played through it before halting the rally.
https://x.com/CocoGauff/status/2107182620316426322
Addressing the online backlash through an Instagram comment and posts on X, Gauff explained that players are instructed before matches to finish ongoing play unless they are certain of a distraction. She emphasized that tournament rules permit players to challenge incidents after a point concludes, noting that her opponent would have enjoyed the exact same right had the outcome gone the other way.
“We are told before the matches we are allowed to continue to finish play so KEEP IT MIND I am thinking about all of this while i’m playing the point., Anything can be challenged after the point is over (as in most sports you can review a call after the play is over, I personally think is the correct rule). If I would’ve lost the point my opponent is also free to do the same thing and ask for a replay and she would’ve have been completely in her right to do so.”
Coco Gauff, American tennis player
Gauff also praised Sun Xinran, the 16-year-old rising star who won the junior U.S. Open in September. Gauff noted that she apologized to Sun at the end of the match and that her opponent understood the situation.
Racial Abuse on Social Media Condemned by Tour Officials
The replay controversy quickly escalated into severe online harassment. After responding to criticism on social media, Gauff found her replies flooded with vulgar messages containing racial epithets and direct attacks.
“Hey everyone, you can dislike me or disagree about what happened without being racist, The amount of racist comments/DMs I’ve received in the last few hours is insane. Lastly, I’m not a cheater or a thief.”
Coco Gauff, American tennis player
Data from a July report indicated that female tennis players faced more than 12,000 abusive messages on social media throughout 2025.
In response to the ongoing trend of digital harassment, both the WTA and World Tennis issued statements emphasizing that collective action
remains necessary to achieve significant progress
in protecting athletes from online abuse.
