Coco Gauff Pulls Out of Wuhan Citing Fatigue After a Draining China Open

Coco Gauff has withdrawn from the Wuhan Open, saying her body needs time to recover after an exhausting stretch in Beijing that included a wave of racist abuse online.

The 22-year-old, who won Wuhan last year, announced her withdrawal after losing 6-3, 6-3 to Elise Mertens in the China Open round of 16. Gauff committed 34 unforced errors and eight double faults, but the score barely tells the story of how depleted she looked. At one point, she told her team she had “no energy” and felt as though she might pass out.  

The controversy started during Gauff’s previous match against 16-year-old Sun Xinran. Gauff stopped play after flickering advertising boards distracted her during a rally. The chair umpire reviewed the incident and ordered the point replayed. Gauff eventually won 7-5, 6-1 and apologised to Sun afterwards.  

That perfectly legitimate request to stop the point somehow triggered an avalanche of racist messages. Gauff later said the volume of racist comments and direct messages was “insane” and reminded people that they could disagree with what happened without resorting to racism. After losing to Mertens, she admitted the abuse had been draining. The WTA also condemned the racist attacks and offered its support.  

Watching her against Mertens, it was difficult not to wonder how much the previous few days had taken out of her. This was not simply a player having a bad afternoon. When someone is telling her box she feels like she might pass out and just wants to finish the match, the priority should be getting her off court and allowing her to recover.

Gauff officially cited fatigue when withdrawing from Wuhan, saying that after a long year her body needed rest. That distinction matters: she did not formally say the racist abuse caused her withdrawal. But she openly acknowledged that the racist abuse had been draining, while separately citing fatigue and the need to recover when she withdrew from Wuhan.

Missing a tournament she won last year is disappointing. Pushing through when both body and mind are clearly exhausted would be worse. Hopefully, Gauff gets the rest she needs. Tennis will still be there when she is ready.