“The amount of racist comments is insane,” Coco Gauff says after backlash
renaschild/Depositphotos Coco Gauff exits China Open in fourth round Cori Dionne Gauff, known professionally as Coco, lost 6-3, 6-3 to Belgium’s Elise Mertens in the China Open fourth round on October 7, 2026, ending her Beijing run at the National Tennis Center. The straight-sets defeat ended Gauff’s attempt to extend a Beijing record that included…
Coco Gauff, the tennis star, expressed her frustration over the surge of racist comments she received following her loss to Elise Mertens at the China Open in Beijing. Gauff, who entered the tournament as the No. 3 seed, lost to the 16-year-old Belgian player in straight sets, ending her bid to extend a record-breaking Beijing run.
The match saw Gauff make 34 unforced errors compared to Mertens' 11, and the American committed eight double faults versus the Belgian's two. The Belgian's superior play, coupled with Gauff's physical fatigue, led to her defeat. Gauff acknowledged the volume of racist messages she received on social media and emphasized that disagreement with the replay decision did not justify those comments. She also expressed respect for Mertens' talent and apologized to the teenager after the match.
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