Coco Gauff Openly Discusses Exhausting Online Racist Abuse Following China Open Exit

Coco Gauff listens to reporters' questions after losing her women's singles match against Belgium's Elise Mertens at the China Open in Beijing, October 7, 2026.

Coco Gauff revealed that online racist abuse left her feeling exhausted following her defeat to Elise Mertens at the China Open. The world number four, a Black American, delivered an uncharacteristically listless performance in Beijing, committing eight double-faults during a 6-3, 6-3 loss to her Belgian opponent.

The 22-year-old Gauff was playing just a day after speaking out against the 'insane' volume of online abuse she received following her previous-round victory over Chinese teenager Sun Xinran.

Reflecting on the emotional toll, Gauff admitted, 'It has been kind of draining. I’m not going to lie. But I just turn off my phone and move on. There’s nothing you can do.' When questioned about her performance on the court, she noted, 'I think I just didn’t play well. I think I wasn’t moving well. There were a lot of things I didn’t do well. I thought Elise played well on the bigger points.'

During her earlier match against Sun, Gauff requested a video review due to flickering LED lights on the stadium advertising hoardings, which drew some boos from the crowd. The umpire permitted the point to be replayed, and Gauff ultimately secured a 7-5, 6-1 win.

Addressing the online backlash, Gauff wrote on X on Tuesday morning, 'Hey everyone, you can dislike me or disagree about what happened without being racist,' responding directly to a post featuring a racial slur. She added, 'The amount of racist comments and messages I’ve received in the last few hours is insane.'

Gauff also clarified that she challenged the point before Sun returned the ball, having noticed the lights flicker a second time.

A spokesperson for the Women’s Tennis Association condemned the situation, stating that the global governing body was 'appalled by the racial abuse directed at Coco Gauff' and remained 'in contact with her to offer our full support.' The statement emphasized that there is 'no place for racism, discrimination, or abuse in tennis' and confirmed efforts to seek action against the offensive content.

Despite winning the Beijing title in 2024 and reaching the semifinals last year, Gauff faced a tough battle as a small group of supporters attempted to rally her for a comeback in the sparsely filled stadium. Mertens maintained her focus to secure a quarterfinal match against Iga Swiatek.

Elise Mertens praised her opponent, calling Gauff an 'incredible player' and noting, 'I knew it was going to be a very tough match.' Mertens dedicated the victory to her coach, who is also her boyfriend.

In other matches, Iga Swiatek defeated American teenager Iva Jovic 6-1, 6-3 in one hour and 35 minutes, remarking, 'I had it under control from the beginning... I feel like I’m improving every day.' Meanwhile, China’s Zheng Qinwen prepared to face 118th-ranked Alina Charaeva, and Ukraine's Elina Svitolina, the sixth seed, lined up to play American Ann Li.