American tennis star Coco Gauff has opened up about the racist abuse she has faced while competing at the China Open, revealing that the experience has left her feeling emotionally “drained.”
During the 22-year-old’s match against Chinese teenager Sun Xinran at the China Open, Gauff stopped playing after noticing the electronic advertising boards around the court were flickering.
The chair umpire reviewed the situation and decided that the flickering could have distracted Gauff, so the point was ordered to be replayed. Gauff won the replayed point and went on to win the match 7-5, 6-1.
After her win, some tennis fans went online and accused Gauff of cheating and manipulating the rules.
Now playing against Elise Mertens in the fourth round, Gauff’s campaign came to an end as she was defeated 6-3, 6-3.
The first set was close in the early stages, but Mertens took control after 3-3, winning three straight games to take the set 6-3.
In the second set, Mertens quickly moved ahead 3-0, leaving Gauff frustrated as she struggled to turn the match around. Gauff continued to fight, but Mertens stayed calm and closed out the match in straight sets.
During her post-match interview, a journalist asked Gauff whether the racist comments she had received had affected her performance on the court. She replied,
“It has been kind of draining, I’m not going to lie. I just turn off my phone and move on. There’s nothing you can do.
“I think today I was just a bit flat. I just didn’t play well. I think I wasn’t moving well. There were a lot of things I didn’t do well.”
