'Draining' few days for Gauff after online racist abuse

Coco Gauff faced a taxing stretch in the days following her China Open quarter-final exit, following a barrage of racist abuse on social media. The American tennis star had received an "insane" volume of hateful comments and direct messages after a controversial incident in her third-round match against 16-year-old Sun Xinran. Sun believed she had hit a winner late in the first set, but Gauff halted play after noticing a flickering light in the court's side panels. A video review confirmed Gauff's point, leading to her victory and eventual match win.

Gauff, 22, detailed her ordeal in a lengthy statement, condemning the racist abuse she faced. Having lost to Elise Mertens 6-3, 6-3 in the following round, Gauff admitted it had been a "draining" two days. She expressed her need to disconnect from her phone and move on, stating there was little she could do about the online abuse. The Women's Tennis Association (WTA) condemned the abuse and pledged its full support to Gauff, vowing to seek action against the abusive content.

Gauff committed 34 unforced errors and served eight double faults against Mertens, attributing her loss to a lack of sustained performance throughout the match. Mertens, meanwhile, will face six-time major champion Iga Swiatek in the quarter-finals after the Pole defeated American teenager Iva Jovic 6-1, 6-3.