UN Human Rights Office calls racist abuse directed at Coco Gauff ‘appalling’

The United Nations has strongly condemned individuals who directed racist abuse towards professional tennis player Coco Gauff following a match at the China Open in Beijing. The 22-year-old American athlete faced an overwhelming volume of comments and direct messages, which she described as "insane," after pausing a point to review a possible hindrance during her match against 16-year-old opponent Sun Xinran.

The United Nations' Human Rights office issued a statement expressing their disapproval of such abuse, emphasizing that it specifically targets Black female athletes. The organization called on sports leagues, players, coaches, and fans to take action against racial and sexist slurs, stating that there is no place for such behavior in sports.

Gauff, a two-time Grand Slam champion, responded to the abuse by acknowledging the amount of racist messages she received and clarifying that she was not cheating. She also mentioned feeling drained and withdrawing from the Wuhan Open, citing fatigue. The WTA Tour, the governing body of women's tennis, expressed their shock at the racist abuse directed at Gauff and stated that they are committed to supporting her and taking appropriate actions against the abusive content.