Gauff says an 'insane' wave of racist abuse followed a disputed point at China Open

Associated Press

Oct 6, 2026

Coco Gauff of the United States, shake hands with Xinran Sun of China, after winning the third round of the women's singles match at the China Open tennis tournament in Beijing, Monday, Oct. 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)

Xinran Sun of China, during the third round of the women's singles match against Coco Gauff of the United States, at the China Open tennis tournament in Beijing, Monday, Oct. 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)

Coco Gauff of the United States, celebrates after defeating Xinran Sun of China, during the third round of the women's singles match at the China Open tennis tournament in Beijing, Monday, Oct. 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)

Xinran Sun of China, returns a ball to, Coco Gauff of the United States, during the third round of the women's singles match at the China Open tennis tournament in Beijing, Monday, Oct. 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Achmad Ibrahim)

Xinran Sun of China, reacts during the third round of the women's singles match against Coco Gauff of the United States, at the China Open tennis tournament in Beijing, Monday, Oct. 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)

BEIJING (AP) — Coco Gauff said she received an “insane” amount of racist comments on social media following a controversial point in her China Open match against home player Sun Xinran.

Gauff stopped a rally after electronic advertising boards lining the court flickered during a point late in the first set of her 7-5, 6-1 third-round victory over Sun, a 16-year-old who recently won the U.S. Open junior title.

Get The Latest News!

Don't miss our top stories and need-to-know news everyday in your inbox.

“Hey everyone, you can dislike me or disagree about what happened without being racist,” Gauff, who is Black, said in a reply on X. “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.”

Sun appeared about to win the point when Gauff stopped playing. The chair umpire then ordered the point to be replayed.

Gauff, a two-time Grand Slam champion ranked No. 4, went on to take control of the match on Monday.

Article continues after sponsor message

“Xinran is (an) incredible talent and player, I apologized for the situation at the end of the match and she completely understood,” Gauff added in another post.

Sun, who was given a wild-card entry by tournament organizers and was making her WTA Tour debut, appeared distraught after the loss.

Gauff, who reached the fourth-round of Wimbledon as a 15-year-old in 2019, sympathized with Sun.

“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. “It was an honor to share the court in front of her home crowd.”

___

See AP’s full tennis coverage here