Key Takeaways
- Coco Gauff condemned the racist abuse she received after a disputed China Open point, writing, “You can dislike me or disagree about what happened without being racist.”
- Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova defended Gauff, stressing that officials reviewed the courtside-advertising distraction and ruled that she acted within the rules.
- Gauff later lost to Elise Mertens while struggling physically and withdrew from the Wuhan Open, saying her body needed time to rest and recover.
Coco Gauff has some heavy hitters in her corner after facing racist abuse online, with tennis legends Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova publicly defending the two-time Grand Slam champion following a controversial call at the China Open.
The former world No. 1 players spoke out after Gauff revealed that she had received racist messages and accusations of cheating following her third-round victory over 16-year-old Sun Xinran in Beijing.
Evert, an 18-time Grand Slam singles champion, questioned why people were attacking the 22-year-old over a decision officials had reviewed and upheld.
“Why are the ‘haters’ attacking Coco Gauff? She did everything within the rules,” Evert wrote on X, formerly Twitter. “Honestly, Coco is the most genuine, thoughtful, humble human being you’ll ever find. She is loved by everyone in the Tennis world. It’s really disturbing to see her going through this turmoil.”
Navratilova, who also holds 18 Grand Slam singles titles, backed Evert's assessment.
“Haters are gonna hate. It’s ridiculous- agree with you,” she replied.
Their support followed an incident that occurred during Gauff's 7-5, 6-1 victory over Sun. With Gauff serving at 4-5, 15-15 in the opening set, she raised her hand to stop play during a lengthy rally after noticing the courtside advertising boards flickering.
Sun subsequently hit what would have been a winner, potentially putting her two points away from taking the set. However, the chair umpire reviewed the video and determined the changing advertisements constituted a hindrance.
The point was replayed, and Gauff won it.
Although the ruling came from the chair umpire, Gauff subsequently faced accusations of cheating, along with racist comments and direct messages. She addressed the attacks on X, making clear that disagreement over a tennis decision did not excuse racial abuse.
“Hey everyone, you can dislike me or disagree about what happened without being racist,” Gauff wrote. “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.”
Gauff also shared an explanation she originally posted on Threads, saying she noticed the advertisements changing earlier in the rally but initially questioned whether she saw them correctly.
The controversy unfolded during a challenging stretch for the American, whose China Open campaign ended with a 6-3, 6-3 fourth-round loss to Elise Mertens.
During that match, Gauff struggled physically and told her team she was having difficulty continuing.
“I have no energy. I’m trying, I have no energy. I can’t see the ball, I feel like I’m going to pass out,” she said. “I’m going to just try to finish the match.”
Gauff subsequently withdrew from the Wuhan Open, where she was scheduled to compete as the defending champion, citing fatigue.
“I’m disappointed to withdraw from Wuhan, especially as the defending champion,” she said. “I always love playing there. After a long year, my body needs some time to rest and recover. I look forward to returning next year.”
