BEIJING — Coco Gauff endured a trying week at the China Open where her campaign was cut short in the Round of 16, yet it was her Round of 32 victory over 16-year-old Chinese prodigy Xinran Sun that provoked a disturbing aftermath. Midway through a key point, the 22-year-old halted play to complain that the LED advertising board had changed during the rally, a decision well within the rules that nevertheless drew accusations she had cheated.
The problem was not isolated in Beijing, where Alexander Zverev and Novak Djokovic had also argued with the umpire about similar LED board distractions during their quarter-final. Gauff, however, bore the brunt of the backlash and was forced to issue a lengthy statement on social media defending her position, insisting: “I’m not a cheater or a thief.” The two-time major champion later revealed she had received an ‘insane’ amount of racist messages following the win over Sun.
Support swiftly followed from across the sport. Chris Evert wrote on X: “Why are the "haters" attacking @CocoGauff ? She did everything within the rules. 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…” Martina Navratilova replied: “Haters are gonna hate. It’s ridiculous- agree with you.” Brad Gilbert, a former coach of Gauff’s, also agreed: “Well said.”
Speaking to the press after her low-energy loss to Elise Mertens, Gauff admitted the toll it had taken, saying: “I mean, it has been kind of draining, I’m not going to lie. I just turn off my phone and move on. I mean, there’s nothing you can do.” She was heard making worrying comments to her team during that defeat and has since withdrawn from the Wuhan Open.