Coco Gauff loses China Open match after citing online racist abuse

Shock defeat in Beijing

The fourth-ranked American player fell 6-3, 6-3 to reach her quarterfinals. Elise Mertens defeated Gauff for the first time in their previous five matchups. This result marked Mertens reaching her first quarterfinal at a WTA 1000 event in five years.

Impact of social media abuse

Gauff told reporters that she felt drained after receiving an insane amount of racist comments. She said she turned off her phone and moved on because there was nothing else to do. The abusive messages followed a controversial point in the preceding round against Sun Xinran.

Match performance details

During the loss, Gauff dropped her serve four times and committed 34 unforced errors. She admitted she was flat and did not play well because she was not moving well. The chair umpire ordered a replay after electronic advertising boards flickered during the earlier match.