Coco Gauff Says Online Racist Abuse Was 'Draining' After China Open Exit

American tennis star Coco Gauff said she found online racist abuse directed at her "draining," after exiting the China Open before reaching the quarterfinals, according to Al Jazeera.

Gauff, one of the leading figures in women's tennis in recent years, said the abuse she faced following her exit took a toll on her, highlighting a problem that numerous professional athletes have described experiencing on social media platforms after high-profile losses. Players across tennis and other sports have increasingly spoken out in recent years about the volume and severity of abusive messages they receive online, particularly following matches that disappoint fans or affect betting outcomes.

Tennis's major governing bodies, including the WTA, have in recent seasons introduced measures aimed at monitoring and addressing player abuse on social media, often working with specialized firms to track threatening or discriminatory messages and refer serious cases to law enforcement or platform moderators. Despite these efforts, players have continued to report that abusive and racially charged messages remain a persistent problem, particularly for high-profile athletes with large social media followings.

Gauff has previously spoken publicly about the pressures of being a prominent young Black athlete in a sport with a complicated history around race and representation, and about the additional scrutiny and abuse that can come with that visibility. Her comments after the China Open add to a broader, ongoing conversation within tennis about player mental health and the responsibility of social media platforms to curb targeted harassment.

Details of the specific nature of the abuse Gauff described were not fully outlined in the available report. It was not immediately clear whether she or the WTA planned any specific follow-up action in response to the incident.