Coco Gauff calls out online racism following China Open video review

American tennis star Coco Gauff said Tuesday she faced an “insane” amount of online racist abuse after defeating Chinese teenager Sun Xinran in a match that included a video review. USA’s Coco Gauff hits a return to China’s Sun Xinran during their women’s singles match at the China Open tennis tournament in Beijing on October 5, 2026. Photo: Adek Berry/AFP. During Monday’s China Open match against 16-year-old Sun Xinran in Beijing, the former US Open champion requested a video review over flickering LED lights, prompting some boos from the crowd. “Hey everyone, you can dislike me or disagree about what happened without being racist,” Gauff wrote on X. “The amount of racist comments and messages I’ve received in the last few hours is insane,” her post read. The umpire agreed for the point to be replayed, and 22-year-old Gauff went on to win the match 7-5, 6-1. ‘Getting hate for following the rules’ Responding on X to a post containing a racial slur that was flagged as potential “hateful content”, the Black American player clarified in a separate post that she challenged the point before Sun’s return when she noticed the lights flicker a second time. “I think it’s weird I’m getting hate for following the rules,” she said, explaining that players are instructed they can challenge points after play has concluded. “Xinran is an incredible talent and player. I apologised for the situation at the end of the match, and she completely understood,” she added. See also: Teen tennis star Coco Gauff says ‘questions’ remain over Peng Shuai sexual assault case By Tuesday morning, the hashtag “Gauff apologised to Sun Xinran after the match” had hit 4.5 million views, ranking as the sixth top trend on Chinese social media platform Weibo. The Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) did not immediately respond to AFP. During a quarter-final match between Alexander Zverev and Novak Djokovic in the men’s draw on Sunday, the umpire also agreed to replay a point after Zverev complained about flickering panels. Gauff, the world No. 4, claimed the Beijing title in 2024. She is due to play Belgium’s Elise Mertens in the round of 16 on Wednesday. Safeguard press freedom; keep HKFP free for all readers by supporting our team Support HKFP | Policies & Ethics | Error/typo? | Contact | Newsletter | Transparency & Annual Report | Apps Make a one-off donation. Dateline:Beijing, China Type of Story: News ServiceProduced externally by an organization we trust to adhere to high journalistic standards. Agence France-Press (AFP) is "a leading global news agency providing fast, comprehensive and verified coverage of the events shaping our world and of the issues affecting our daily lives." HKFP relies on AFP, and its international bureaus, to cover topics we cannot. Read their Ethics Code here More by AFP