Coco Gauff publicly condemned a wave of racist messages she received following a controversial point during her third-round match at the China Open against rising Chinese star Sun Xinran.
Taking to social media, Gauff addressed the backlash head-on and expressed her disappointment with the hateful comments.
"Hey everyone, you can dislike me or disagree about what happened without being racist," Gauff said in a reply on X. "The amount of racist comments/dms I've received in the last few hours is insane. Lastly, I'm not a cheater or a thief."
The controversy unfolded as Gauff, the World No. 4, served to stay in the first set, 5-4. During a rally, Sun appeared to hit a winner, but play was halted when an electronic advertising board on the court suddenly flickered, catching Gauff’s attention. After a brief discussion with the chair umpire, the point was replayed, and Gauff then secured the next three points and ultimately went on to win the match 7-5, 6-1.
Gauff continued in a follow-up post, taking time to praise Xinran as a talented player. Gauff said she apologized for the circumstances at the end of the match and Sun understood.
Sun, who was awarded a wild-card entry into the tournament, was making her WTA Tour debut after recently claiming the U.S. Open junior title.
"I did not like to see her so emotional as I've been there and I really understand what it is like but this is just the beginning of an incredible career," Gauff said. "It was an honor to share the court in front of her home crowd."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Coco Gauff condemns online racism after disputed China Open point
