Gauff Reports 'Insane' Racist Messages After China Open Point

Coco Gauff said she received an "insane" amount of racist comments and direct messages on social media after a disputed point in her third-round win at the China Open, according to the Associated Press, via ESPN.

Gauff, who is Black, posted a response on X after her 7-5, 6-1 victory over home player Sun Xinran on Monday in Beijing. "Hey everyone, you can dislike me or disagree about what happened without being racist," Gauff wrote, per the AP report carried by ESPN. "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."

What happened during the Gauff-Sun match?

The disputed point occurred late in the first set, according to the AP. Electronic advertising boards lining the court flickered during a rally, and Gauff stopped play. At that moment, Sun appeared to be about to win the point, the AP reported. The chair umpire ordered the point replayed rather than awarding it to either player.

Gauff, the No. 4-ranked player and a two-time Grand Slam champion, went on to take control of the match after the stoppage, closing out the first set 7-5 before winning the second set 6-1, per ESPN's account of the AP story.

Sun, 16, was playing her WTA Tour debut on a wild-card entry from tournament organizers. She had recently won the U.S. Open junior title, according to the AP report.

What did Gauff say about the online response?

Gauff addressed the backlash directly on X, writing that she had been accused in some comments of cheating despite the umpire's decision to replay the point rather than rule in her favor outright. Her post explicitly separated criticism of her tennis decision from the racist messages she said she received, telling followers they could "dislike" or "disagree" with her conduct "without being racist."

The AP did not report the platforms where the racist comments and messages originated beyond Gauff's own reference to "dms," nor did it specify a count of the messages. ESPN's republished AP story did not include screenshots or examples of the specific comments Gauff described.

How did Gauff address Sun's reaction?

Gauff posted separately about Sun's reaction to the loss, writing that she apologized to her opponent at the end of the match. "Xinran is an incredible talent and player, I apologized for the situation at the end of the match and she completely understood," Gauff wrote, according to the AP.

Sun appeared distraught after the defeat, the AP reported. Gauff said she recognized the emotional toll, drawing a comparison to her own experience as a teenager playing in front of large crowds. "I did not like to see her so emotional as I've been there and I really understand what it is like but this is just the beginning of an incredible career," Gauff said, per the AP account. "It was an honor to share the court in front of her home crowd."

Gauff herself reached the fourth round of Wimbledon at age 15 in 2019, a stage of her career the AP noted in drawing the parallel to Sun's situation.

What is the China Open and where does this fit in the tournament?

The China Open is a WTA and ATP combined event held in Beijing. Gauff's third-round win over Sun on Monday was her first match since the U.S. Open, according to the AP's coverage carried by ESPN. The same ESPN tennis coverage stream reported other news from the same week in Beijing and at concurrent tournaments, including Novak Djokovic winning his seventh China Open title after an injured De Minaur retired, and Daniil Medvedev being disqualified from the China Open for hitting a spectator with a ball.

No additional details on tournament officials' response to the racist comments directed at Gauff, or any statement from the WTA or China Open organizers, appeared in the AP report republished by ESPN.

What happens next for Gauff and Sun?

The AP report did not specify Gauff's next opponent in the China Open draw following the win over Sun. Sun's run in her WTA Tour debut ended with the third-round loss, according to the AP account.

Neither Gauff's full statement nor any follow-up comment from WTA officials on content moderation or player-protection measures was included in the source material reviewed for this report.