Coco Gauff Describes Racist Abuse After China Open Dispute as Draining

The dispute began during Coco Gauff's China Open victory over 16-year-old Sun Xinran. Gauff was serving at 4-5 in the first set, according to the BBC, when the incident occurred.

Gauff stopped a rally after being distracted by lighting around the court. Der Spiegel reported that she complained about the arena's LED displays and that her complaint was upheld. The point was replayed, according to Al Jazeera.

Gauff went on to win, but the reaction extended beyond criticism of the decision. She said she received racist abuse on social media afterward, Sky Sports reported.

On October 5, the BBC reported Gauff's condemnation of the racial abuse she received following the match against Sun. The controversy centred on her interruption of play, not the final result alone.

By October 6, Gauff was describing an "insane" amount of racist comments. ESPN reported her account of the abuse after the disputed point in Monday's victory.

Gauff also rejected accusations of cheating. The Times of India reported her response, "I'm not a cheater," amid the backlash over her decision to pause play.

On October 7, Gauff lost to Elise Mertens and exited the tournament in the fourth round. She had won all five of their previous meetings, according to ESPN.

After that defeat, Gauff described the preceding days as "draining." The BBC reported that the racist abuse had included both public comments and direct messages.

Gauff's China Open campaign is over, but her latest comments make clear that the abuse remained a burden beyond the original match. Sky Sports reported that she said she had been left drained after her loss to Mertens. That account does not establish that the abuse caused the defeat.

She has also withdrawn from the upcoming WTA 1000 tournament in Wuhan. L'Équipe reported on October 7 that she cited fatigue accumulated during the season. CNN Brasil placed the withdrawal in the context of the racist attacks, but the coverage does not establish that those attacks were the stated reason for her decision.