Coco Gauff Eliminated from China Open

Just days after facing a controversy on the court and responding to a racial slur online, Coco Gauff’s run at the China Open came to an end in the round of 16.

She lost to No. 19 Elise Mertens with a score of 6-3, 6-3. During the match, Gauff expressed that she wasn’t feeling quite right. “I have no energy. I’m trying, I have no energy. I can’t see the ball, I feel like I’m going to pass out,” she told her team, indicating she was determined to finish the match despite her struggles.

Following the match, Gauff shared that the incidents from earlier in the week had taken a toll on her. “I’m not going to lie,” she admitted. “I just turn off my phone and move on. There’s nothing you can do.” It seems that the defeat was particularly tough, especially since she had previously defeated Mertens in all of their past encounters.

Her loss came just after she had been subject to an overwhelming number of racist comments on social media, which she described as “insane.” This backlash emerged after a controversial moment in her earlier match against 16-year-old Xinran, who recently won the U.S. Open junior title. Gauff had halted play when electronic boards flickered, putting her in a tricky position. The chair umpire decided the point must be replayed, which sparked further discussion online.

Addressing her critics, Gauff stated on social media, “hey everyone, you can dislike me or disagree about what happened without being racist. the amount of racist comments/dms I’ve received in the last few hours is insane.” She emphasized, “I’m not a cheater or a thief,” while also acknowledging the unfortunate nature of the situation, which was beyond her control.

In her match against Mertens, Gauff struggled with consistency, racking up 34 unforced errors compared to Mertens’ 11, alongside eight double faults. Some of her double faults occurred during a crucial moment at the end of the first set.