Andy Roddick Condemns Racist Abuse of Coco Gauff

Andy Roddick has publicly condemned the racist abuse directed at Coco Gauff following her third-round match at the 2026 China Open. The former world No. 1 used his Served podcast to label the online attacks as disgusting and racist filth.

Roddick addressed the incident directly. He stated that typing hateful words is no different from saying them. "If you… just because you’re typing it doesn’t mean you’re not saying it," Roddick said. He reserved particular scorn for those wishing harm on an athlete over a tennis match. Roddick also praised Gauff's high character and her tendency to take responsibility.

Gauff targeted after video review dispute

The abuse erupted after a video review incident during Gauff's match in Beijing. She defeated 16-year-old Chinese wildcard Xinran Sun 7-5, 6-1. A dispute over a line call in the first set, where Gauff successfully challenged, triggered a wave of vitriol online.

In the hours after her victory, Gauff was bombarded with racist comments and direct messages on X, formerly known as Twitter. She confirmed she had suffered racist abuse following the match.

Gauff responds and continues despite abuse

Coco Gauff addressed the abuse directly on social media. She urged critics to express disagreement without resorting to racism. "Hey everyone, you can dislike me or disagree about what happened without being racist," Gauff posted. The world No. 5 later described the experience as draining.

Despite the harassment, she won the replayed point and the match. Her tournament run ended in the next round, where she lost to Elise Mertens 6-3, 6-3.

Wider context of player abuse in tennis

Andy Roddick connected this incident to a pattern of recent abuse in the sport. He referenced similar online attacks targeting Alexander Zverev and Novak Djokovic just the previous week. Zverev had experienced issues with flashing LED screens during his China Open match against Djokovic.

This is not the first time Gauff has required defense from tennis legends. Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert have previously spoken out in her support following abusive incidents.

Gauff steps back to prepare for WTA Finals

Following her loss to Elise Mertens in Beijing, Coco Gauff withdrew from the upcoming Wuhan Open. The decision was made because she did not feel 100% ready to compete. The withdrawal is seen as a chance to rest and recover.

Her focus is now on the season-ending WTA Finals, which are scheduled to begin one month from the time of the report. Coco Gauff is expected to play at the WTA Finals.