Gauff Defends Herself After Replay Row and Racist Abuse in Beijing

Coco Gauff's passage to the China Open round of 16 came wrapped in controversy — and an ugly aftermath. The world No. 4 beat 16-year-old Chinese wildcard Sun Xinran 7-5, 6-1 late on Monday night in Beijing, but the match turned on a replayed point at 5-4 in the first set that left Gauff facing a storm of abuse, including racist messages on social media. With Gauff serving at 15-all, she raised her hand citing flickering LED sideboards and, after a video review, the umpire ordered the point replayed. Gauff won it, broke serve and never looked back, winning nine of the last 10 games. Sun, the reigning US Open girls' champion playing her first WTA main draw, was in tears between sets. It was the second straight day the Beijing boards intervened in a match, after a near-identical flashpoint in the Djokovic-Zverev quarterfinal. Gauff responded to the racist DMs on X, saying fans could disagree with the call without being racist and insisting she is no cheat. She faces Elise Mertens next.