Coco Gauff said she received an "insane" amount of racist comments and direct messages after a disputed, video-reviewed point in her China Open win over 16-year-old Sun Xinran on October 5, 2026. Gauff said she had followed tour rules in requesting the review and denied any wrongdoing, writing online that disagreement with the call did not justify racist abuse.
American tennis player Coco Gauff said on X that she received a large volume of racist messages after a contested point during her third-round match against Chinese teenager Sun Xinran at the China Open in Beijing. Gauff won the match 7-5, 6-1 on Monday, October 5, 2026, according to Al Jazeera, with ESPN also describing the match as taking place on a Monday.
What happened on court
With the first set tied at 5-5, Sun appeared to be about to win a point when Gauff raised her hand to flag that an electronic advertising board behind the court had flickered during the rally, NBC News and Al Jazeera reported. After a video review, the chair umpire ruled the flickering boards counted as a hindrance and ordered the point replayed. Gauff won the replayed point, held serve, and went on to close out the set and the match, advancing to the round of 16.
Gauff said she was simply using a rule available to all players. According to NBC News, she explained that competitors are permitted to request video review of certain judgment calls, including claims that a distraction interfered with play.
Gauff's response to the backlash
Writing on X early on Tuesday, October 6, Gauff addressed the reaction to the point directly. "The amount of racist comments/dms I've received in the last few hours is insane," she wrote, according to ESPN and NBC News.
You can dislike me or disagree about what happened without being racist.
— Coco Gauff, on X
She also wrote that she is "not a cheater or a thief," rejecting accusations that circulated online after the replayed point, per ESPN and NBC News. NBC News reported that the post Gauff was replying to contained a racial slur, which the outlet did not reproduce.
Reaction from Sun Xinran and the tournament
Gauff said she apologized to Sun, a 16-year-old making her WTA Tour main-draw run, at the end of the match, and that Sun "completely understood" the situation. Gauff described her opponent as "an incredible talent," according to ESPN and Al Jazeera.
NBC News reported that it had sought comment from the WTA and from China Open organizers in Beijing but had not received a response by the time of publication. No statement from Sun Xinran or from tournament organizers was cited in the reports reviewed for this piece.
Online abuse in tennis
Several outlets covering the incident, including Al Jazeera and NBC News, noted that the WTA has introduced an AI-based system to monitor social media abuse directed at players and officials. A study attributed to the WTA and World Tennis, cited in that coverage, found players were subjected to more than 12,000 abusive posts and messages in 2025, up from 8,000 the year before.
Match: Coco Gauff def. Sun Xinran 7-5, 6-1, China Open third round, Beijing
Date of match: October 5, 2026; Gauff's public statement: early Tuesday, October 6, 2026
Disputed call: point replayed after a flickering advertising board was ruled a hindrance
Gauff reached the round of 16 in Beijing following the win
Questions
What did Coco Gauff say about the racist comments?
Gauff wrote on X that the amount of racist comments and direct messages she received "in the last few hours" was "insane," adding that people could disagree with her without being racist, and that she is "not a cheater or a thief."
What caused the controversy at the China Open?
During her third-round match against Sun Xinran, Gauff stopped play over a flickering advertising board behind the court. After video review, the umpire ruled it a hindrance and ordered the point replayed; Gauff won the replayed point and the match 7-5, 6-1.
Who is Sun Xinran?
Sun Xinran is a 16-year-old Chinese tennis player who faced Gauff in the China Open third round in Beijing, according to ESPN and NBC News.
Did the WTA respond to the incident?
NBC News reported it sought comment from the WTA and China Open organizers but had not received a response at the time of its report.
Did Gauff break any rules by requesting the review?
No. Gauff said she followed existing tour rules that allow players to request video review of certain judgment calls, including claims that a distraction affected play, according to NBC News.
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