Coco Gauff was knocked out of the China Open in the last 16, falling 6-3 6-3 to Belgium's Elise Mertens. The defeat marks a surprising turn for the American third seed, who had beaten Mertens in all five of their previous matchups.
Following her exit, Gauff described the last few days as draining and exhausting. She revealed that she had received an insane amount of racist comments on social media following a controversial point in her match against China's Sun Xinran on Monday. Gauff was targeted online after stopping play during a crucial point in the first set of that contest.
Although Gauff won her match against Sun Xinran, the subsequent online abuse left her feeling exhausted before her fourth-round loss. This incident reflects a broader trend, as a study showed that players were subjected to over 12,000 abusive posts and messages on social media in 2025.