Serena Williams's coach slams racist attacks on Coco Gauff: Details
What's the story
Coco Gauff's 2026 China Open campaign ended on a sour note, with the American tennis star exiting the WTA 1000 event in the fourth round. The exit came after she was embroiled in a controversy over alleged cheating. Serena Williams's coach Rennae Stubbs has come out in support of Gauff, condemning the racist attacks directed at her.
Match controversy
Gauff accused of cheating; subjected to racist abuse
Gauff's third-round match against Sun Xinran ended in a 7-5, 6-1 victory for the American. However, the win was marred by cheating allegations against her.
While serving in the first set at 4-5, Gauff halted play after seeing a flickering light on the side panels just before Sun could score a winner.
The umpire ordered a replay of the point, which Gauff won, triggering an "insane" amount of racist abuse against her.
Match impact
Stubbs highlights impact of online abuse
The online abuse took a toll on Gauff's performance in her fourth-round match against Elise Mertens.
She admitted to her team that she had "no energy" and lost the match 6-3, 6-3.
Stubbs later condemned the "insane" criticism aimed at Gauff and highlighted its impact on her performance in a newsletter on Substack.
Racism denounced
Stubbs slams bettors and sycophants
Stubbs slammed the "bettors" and "sycophants" for their abuse, but reserved her strongest condemnation for "racists."
She said, "Coco has spent her entire career giving her best, treating the people around her with kindness, and carrying herself with class."
Stubbs added that attacking Gauff for her skin color is not fandom or criticism but plain racism, which has no place in any sport.
Withdrawal decision
Gauff withdraws from Wuhan Open
After her exit from the China Open, Gauff spoke about the "draining" experience of dealing with racist attacks.
She said, "It has been kind of draining, I'm not going to lie. I just turn off my phone and move on."
The World No. 4 then withdrew from the Wuhan Open, citing fatigue and prioritizing recovery after a long season.