Coco Gauff details draining racist abuse after China Open

Coco Gauff said she endured a 'draining' period of racist online abuse after her China Open third-round victory, which she believes impacted her subsequent performance. The world No. 4 revealed the torrent of racist comments and direct messages she received was 'insane', leading her to disconnect from her phone and seek action through the WTA, which condemned the abuse.

A spokesperson for the Women's Tennis Association said it was appalled by the racial abuse directed at Coco Gauff and was in contact with her to offer support. Gauff posted a lengthy statement addressing the incident directly. She responded to the hate by writing that people could dislike her or disagree about what happened without being racist. She also stated she is not a cheater or a thief.

On-court distraction and match controversy with Sun Xinran

The initial incident that sparked the abuse occurred during Gauff's third-round match against China's Sun Xinran, who was playing in her first WTA 1000 event. Gauff halted a rally late in the first set, raising her hand because flickering lights on electronic advertising boards beside the court distracted her. The chair umpire reviewed the incident and ordered the point to be replayed, a decision Gauff won. She went on to win the match in straight sets.

Gauff later called it an 'unfortunate situation' and said it was ridiculous to suggest she was being unfair for following the rules. She apologized to Sun Xinran after the match, and the Chinese player appeared receptive.

Loss to Elise Mertens ends Beijing run, sets up Swiatek quarter-final

Gauff's tournament ended in the last 16 with a 6-3, 6-3 loss to Elise Mertens. The American struggled with her energy and execution during the match. She hit eight double faults and made 34 unforced errors. Gauff said she felt flat, did not move well, and had no energy. She described feeling as though she might pass out and could not see the ball clearly, though she acknowledged her level was there at some points.

Elise Mertens advanced to face world No. 1 Iga Swiatek in the quarter-finals. Mertens acknowledged she knew the upcoming match would be a very tough challenge. Swiatek, for her part, said she feels she is improving every day.

WTA responds to abuse, Gauff steps back from Wuhan to recover

In response to the ongoing issue of online abuse, the WTA has introduced an AI-powered system designed to monitor thousands of players and officials on social media. Meanwhile, Coco Gauff has announced her withdrawal from the upcoming Wuhan Masters, where she is the defending champion. She stated she loves playing in Wuhan but that her body needs time to rest and recover fully after a long and taxing season. She is focusing on that recovery to prepare for the remainder of the year.