Coco Gauff Withdraws From Tournament After ‘Draining’ Racist Social Media Attacks

Coco Gauff withdrew from the upcoming Wuhan Open tennis tournament, days after reportedly facing racist comments on social media following a controversial moment during a match at the China Open.

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She explained her position to reporters Oct. 7, saying a recent influx of social media attacks really got to her. “It has been kind of draining, I’m not going to lie,” the 22-year-old athlete said.

“I just turn off my phone and move on. There’s nothing you can do.”

Tension built earlier in the week after an Oct. 5 exchange during her match with Sun Xinran at the China Open. During the match, Gauff paused play to complain about flickering LED advertising boards, which she said were affecting her line of sight

The umpire ordered the point to be replayed, and Gauff ultimately came out on top.

Critics lashed out at Gauff, accusing her of intentionally stopping play while Xinran had momentum and focus.

According to Gauff, the comments turned racial, and she called them out on social media.

Gauff took to X Oct. 5 to say, “hey everyone, you can dislike me or disagree about what happened without being racist.”

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She continued, “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.”

The tennis star didn’t disclose further information about the messages she received.

Gauff, who is ranked No. 4 in the world, continued to struggle Wednesday in her match against Elise Mertens. Her match was riddled with 34 unforced errors and eight double faults, according to ESPN. Gauff had come out victorious in all of her previous 5 matches against Mertens.

Organizers of the Wuhan Open later announced that Gauff had withdrawn from the tournament at the Optics Valley International Tennis Center. (RELATED: Legendary Chicago Bears Coach Mike Ditka Dead At 86)

“I’m disappointed to withdraw from Wuhan, especially as the defending champion,” Gauff said in a statement, according to The New York Times.

“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.”

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