The United Nations’ human rights office has strongly criticized the racist mistreatment of tennis sensation Coco Gauff and urged for collective support in combating racism and sexism. High Commissioner Volker Turk’s office denounced the offensive online messages directed at Gauff as “shocking” and highlighted the disproportionate targeting of Black female athletes with vitriol and racial discrimination.
Following a contentious moment in her China Open match against Sun Xinran, Gauff, a highly accomplished two-time Grand Slam winner ranked No. 4, disclosed receiving an overwhelming volume of racist remarks on social media last week. Subsequently, she faced a defeat against Elise Mertens at the China Open, expressing extreme fatigue and feelings of nearly passing out.
The United Nations’ human rights office emphasized that racial or sexist slurs and abuse have no place in sports. It called on players, coaches, sports organizations, and fans to unite in support of those confronting such assaults and to combat racism and sexism that tarnish the spirit of sports.
