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Gauff reports online racial abuse after China Open win over Sun Xinran

Coco Gauff said she received a large amount of racist abuse online after beating 16-year-old Sun Xinran at the China Open, following a disputed point stopped over a flickering light that was replayed.

3 outlets · 1L · 0C · 2R First reported Account updated
Image: Irish Independent
Image: Al Jazeera
Image: GB News

1 / 3

The story, neutrally told

Mixed · 2Coco Gauff, the world No 4, beat 16-year-old Sun Xinran of China 7-5, 6-1 at the China Open in Beijing to reach the last 16. Mixed · 2At 4-5 in the first set, Gauff was serving to stay in it when Sun thought she had hit a winner, but Gauff had already raised a hand to stop the point because a light around the court was flickering. Mixed · 2Al Jazeera reports that after a video review the umpire ordered the point replayed; Gauff won it, held serve for 5-5 and dropped just one more game in the match.

Mixed · 2Gauff, who is Black, then wrote on X that she had received an "insane" amount of racist comments and direct messages in the previous few hours, adding that people can dislike her or disagree about what happened "without being racist" and that she is "not a cheater or a thief". Mixed · 2Gauff described the episode as "an unfortunate situation, but it is out of my control" and said she apologised to Sun at the end of the match and that Sun "completely understood". Left · 1According to Al Jazeera, Gauff said she was following the rules, as players may request video reviews of select judgement calls, including claims that a distraction interfered with play. Gauff also said she did not like seeing Sun so emotional, called it the start of an incredible career, and said it was an honour to share the court in front of Sun's home crowd.

Left · 1Al Jazeera adds that the WTA has introduced an AI-powered system to monitor thousands of players and officials on social media, and that a WTA and World Tennis study found more than 12,000 abusive posts and messages in 2025, up from 8,000 a year earlier.

Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on. The pill in front of each says where its sources sit: Left, Centre or Right when one side supplies at least half of them, Mixed when they are evenly split. The number is how many outlets it cites.

Left1 outlet

Framing
Frames the story as a racial abuse controversy following a replayed point, adding rules and WTA context on online abuse.
Emphasis
Gauff's rule-based defence, the video review and replay, WTA anti-abuse measures and abuse statistics.
Leaves out or plays down
Does not report Sun thinking she had hit a winner in the same terms; no reaction from Sun or the WTA to this incident.
Charged language
“racial abuse controversy”“barrage of abusive messages”
For example
“Gauff in racial abuse controversy at China Open after replayed point” — Al Jazeera
“Gauff said she had received a barrage of abusive messages on social media after the match.” — Al Jazeera

Centre0 outlets

No centre outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.

Right2 outlets

Framing
Short report leading on Gauff reporting abuse, with an account of the contested point and Gauff's X posts.
Emphasis
The sequence of the point and Gauff's own words on X.
Leaves out or plays down
Does not mention the video review, the replay ruling, the rules on distractions or WTA anti-abuse efforts.
Charged language
“controversial flickering-light point”
For example
“Coco Gauff faces racist abuse online after China Open match against Sun Xinran and explains the controversial flickering-light point in Beijing.” — Irish Independent