Coco Gauff faced a defeat against Elise Mertens in the China Open quarterfinals, marking her first loss to Mertens in their sixth encounter. The match followed a controversial incident during Gauff’s previous game with Sun Xinran, where Gauff paused play due to flickering advertising boards, leading to a replay of the point.
In response to receiving a barrage of racist comments on social media post the incident, Gauff, who is Black, addressed the issue, emphasizing that disagreement or dislike should not manifest as racism. She highlighted the alarming volume of racist messages and clarified her integrity as a player.
During her match with Mertens, Gauff struggled as she lost her serve four times, ultimately leading to Mertens’ victory and advancement to the quarterfinals of a WTA 1000 event for the first time in five years. Reflecting on her win, Mertens credited her coach/boyfriend, dedicating the victory to him and their collaborative efforts.
Mertens’ triumph over Gauff adds to her successful record against top-10 players this year, including wins against notable opponents like Jasmine Paolini and Elena Rybakina. Meanwhile, Iga Swiatek secured a victory over American player Iva Jovic, setting up a match against Mertens in the next round after breaking Jovic’s serve twice in the final stages of the game.
