Coco Gauff, the American tennis player ranked fourth in the world, shared her feelings of exhaustion after facing online racist abuse. This came after her recent loss to Elise Mertens at the China Open in Beijing.
Gauff, who is 22 years old and Black, struggled during her match, making eight double faults and losing 6-3, 6-3. She had just spoken out about the overwhelming amount of online abuse she received after her previous victory against Chinese player Sun Xinran.
“It has been kind of draining. I’m not going to lie,” Gauff said, referring to the negative comments. She mentioned that she tries to move on by turning off her phone. “There’s nothing you can do,” she added.
In her match against Mertens, Gauff admitted she did not play her best. “I think I just didn’t play well. I think I wasn’t moving well,” she said. Mertens, who is ranked 19th in the world, praised Gauff, calling her an “incredible player.”
Earlier in the week, Gauff had to deal with distractions during her match against Sun, where she requested a video review due to flickering lights in the stadium. This request led to some boos from the crowd, but the umpire allowed the point to be replayed, and Gauff won the match.
The Women’s Tennis Association spoke out against the racial abuse directed at Gauff, stating they are in contact with her to provide support. They emphasized that there is “no place for racism, discrimination, or abuse in tennis” and are looking to take action against such behavior.
Despite the challenges, Gauff remains popular among fans, who showed their support during her match against Mertens. The tournament continues, with Mertens moving on to face Iga Swiatek in the quarter-finals.
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