The United Nations Human Rights office issued a strong statement on Saturday condemning the surge of racist abuse directed at American tennis player Coco Gauff. The abuse followed a controversial replay decision during her China Open quarter‑final match against Sun Xinran.
What happened on court
During a crucial point, Gauff stopped play to protest a flickering advertising board that she said was distracting Sun. After a video review, the umpire ordered the point to be replayed. Gauff went on to win the match 7‑5, 6‑1, but later revealed on X that she had been inundated with racist messages after the match.
Gauff’s response
Gauff, who is Black, wrote, “You can dislike me or disagree about what happened without being racist,” in reply to a post that contained a racial slur. She added that the online vitriol left her feeling drained, especially as she exited the tournament in the round of 16.
UN statement
The UN Human Rights office called the messages “appalling” and highlighted that Black female athletes are often singled out for such vitriol. “There is no place in sport for racial or sexist slurs and abuse,” the office posted on X, urging players, coaches, sports bodies, and fans to unite against these attacks.
WTA data on abuse
A study released by the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) and World Tennis showed that players faced more than 12,000 abusive posts and messages on social media in 2025, up from 8,000 the previous year. The increase underscores a growing problem of online harassment in professional tennis.
Calls for action
The UN statement asked sports organizations to develop stronger policies and enforcement mechanisms to protect athletes from hate‑filled content. It also encouraged fans to push back against those who attempt to sully sport with racism and sexism.
Next steps
Reuters has reached out to the WTA and the Beijing tournament organizers for comment on the UN’s call for stronger safeguards. As the tennis world watches, the incident serves as a reminder that the fight against racism in sport remains far from over.
Original reporting: Appleton, WI News Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
