Coco Gauff is bowing out of the upcoming Wuhan Open tennis tournament after receiving a wave of racist abuse on social media.
“It has been kind of draining, I’m not going to lie,” Gauff, 22, told reporters on Wednesday, October 7, when asked about being attacked on social media. “I just turn off my phone and move on. There’s nothing you can do.”
Gauff spoke out earlier this week over a controversial exchange during her match with Sun Xinran at the China Open on Monday, October 5. During the match, Gauff briefly stopped play to complain about flickering LED advertising boards in her line of vision. The umpire ordered the point to be replayed. (Gauff ultimately won the matchup over Xinran, 7-5, 6-1.)
The divisive turn of events sparked outrage among some tennis fans who alleged that Gauff intentionally stopped a rally while Xinran, 16, had momentum on her side.
“Hey everyone, you can dislike me or disagree about what happened without being racist,” she tweeted on Monday. “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.”
Gauff — who is ranked at No.4 in the world — subsequently struggled against 19th-ranked Elise Mertens on Wednesday, ultimately losing 6-3, 6-3, in a match where she committed 34 unforced errors and eight double faults, per ESPN. (Gauff had previously beaten Mertens, 30, in all five of their previous matches.)
Organizers of the Wuhan Open later announced that Gauff had withdrawn from the upcoming tournament, which takes place between October 12 and October 18 at the Optics Valley International Tennis Center. (Gauff defeated Jessica Pegula to win the women’s singles title at the 2025 Wuhan Open.)
“I’m disappointed to withdraw from Wuhan, especially as the defending champion,” Gauff said in a statement. “I always love playing there. After a long year, my body needs some time to rest and recover. I look forward to returning next year.”
Following her tough loss to Mertens on Wednesday, Gauff admitted during a press conference that she felt “just a bit flat” and simply “didn’t play well.”
“I think I wasn’t moving well. There were a lot of things I didn’t do well,” she added.
Mertens confirmed to the press pool that she too noticed that Gauff seemed to be off her game during their China Open clash.
“I kind of felt like she was dropping a bit in energy,” Mertens told the media. “I tried to push myself. But I know she’s a great competitor. It’s never done against her.”
She went on to praise Gauff’s commitment to the sport, saying, “She’s an incredible player, of course. I knew it was going to be a very tough match. But I had motivation.”
Gauff is next scheduled to compete as part of Team USA against Team Hungary at the Billie Jean King Cup Playoffs, which will be held in Delray Beach, Florida, from November 21 through November 22.
