Coco Gauff has condemned racist abuse on social media following her China Open victory over 16-year-old Chinese player Sun Xinran.
The controversy came after an unusual moment during the match, when Gauff stopped play due to her flickering light around the court.
Here are five things to know about the incident and the reaction that followed.
1. Gauff stopped play over a flickering light
Gauff was serving at 4-5 in the opening set when Sun appeared to believe she had hit a winner. However, Gauff raised her hand to stop the point after noticing a flickering light in the panels surrounding the court.
Under tennis rules, players can request a review when they believe an external distraction or other hindrance has affected play.
2. The point was replayed
Following the review, the point was replayed and Gauff won it. She then held serve to level the opening set at 5-5 ahead of eventually taking the set 7-5.
The American continued the game to be victorious in the second round as well, losing just one game as she secured a 7-5, 6-1 victory.
3. Gauff explained what happened
Following the match, the 22-year-old took to X (formerly Twitter), explaining the entire incident, calling it unfortunate and stating it was outside her control.
Moreover, she stated Sun had comprehended what happened and accepted the apology.
4. She called out racist comments
Shortly after the post went viral, the incident garnered significant traction, responding to a post containing racist language and revealed that she had received a massive number of racist comments and direct messages.
She emphasised that individuals could disagree with her without resorting to racism and refused accusations that she was a “thief.”
5. Online abuse is a broader tennis problem
Gauff’s experience comes amid wider concerns regarding abuse targeting women’s tennis players. A 2025 report suggested that female players got over 12,000 abusive social-media posts and messages.
Her response has therefore renewed attention on racism and online harassment in professional sport, displaying how an on-court disagreement can quickly become a much wider social-media issue.
