American tennis star Coco Gauff found herself at the center of a controversy during her third‑round victory at the China Open in Beijing. While leading 7‑5, 6‑1 against 16‑year‑old Chinese wildcard Sun Xinran, Gauff stopped a rally after the electronic advertising boards lining the court flickered during a point.
The chair umpire ordered the point to be replayed, and Gauff later explained that she saw a brief light flash and was unsure whether it affected her ability to see the ball. She said she raised her hands to signal the issue and that the rules allow a player to request a replay if a visual distraction occurs.
Shortly after the match, Gauff took to X (formerly Twitter) to address a wave of hateful messages she received. “The amount of racist comments/DMs I’ve received in the last few hours is insane,” she wrote, adding that she is “not a cheater or a thief.” Gauff noted that she has faced similar abuse from online gamblers earlier in the year.
Gauff emphasized that the decision to stop play was based on the tournament’s rules, not personal bias. “If I had lost the point, my opponent would have been free to do the same thing and ask for a replay, and she would have been completely in her right to do so,” she said.
She also expressed empathy for Sun Xinran, who appeared distraught after the loss. “Xinran is incredible talent and player. I apologized for the situation at the end of the match and she completely understood,” Gauff said. “I did not like to see her so emotional; I’ve been there and I really understand what it is like. This is just the beginning of an incredible career. It was an honor to share the court in front of her home crowd.”
Sun Xinran, a recent U.S. Open junior champion, entered the tournament on a wild‑card and was making her WTA Tour debut. Despite the disappointment, she handled the situation with composure, acknowledging Gauff’s apology.
Gauff’s next match will be in the round of 16 against Belgian player Elise Mertens. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Original reporting: Fox News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
