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

Coco Gauff, the world No. 4 and two-time Grand Slam champion, received a wave of racist comments on social media after stopping play during a disputed point in her 7-5, 6-1 third-round China Open victory over 16-year-old Chinese wildcard Sun Xinran on Monday. Gauff halted a rally when electronic advertising boards flickered courtside, prompting the chair umpire to order a point replay, which drew backlash from fans online. Gauff addressed the abuse on X, stating 'you can dislike me or disagree about what happened without being racist' and noted she had apologized to Sun after the match, with Sun reportedly understanding the situation.