Coco Gauff, ranked fourth in the world, was defeated by Elise Mertens, ranked 19th, in the China Open quarterfinals, marking Mertens’ first WTA 1000 quarterfinal in five years. Gauff, who had previously beaten Mertens in all five of their encounters, lost 6-3, 6-3. This match followed a controversial incident in Gauff’s previous game against Sun Xinran, where a point was replayed due to flickering electronic advertising boards. Gauff faced an “insane” amount of racist comments on social media afterward. Despite the loss, Mertens celebrated the victory as a birthday dedication to her coach and boyfriend. Meanwhile, Iga Swiatek advanced to face Mertens next.
QUESTION: How might the experience of facing online racism impact athletes’ mental health and performance?
Coco Gauff loses after citing ‘insane’ racist abuse following match in Beijing
