Key Takeaways
- Coco Gauff lost to Elise Mertens in the last 16 of the China Open.
- Gauff received racial abuse online following a controversial point.
- The defeat marked a difficult few days for the American tennis star.
American tennis player Coco Gauff was eliminated from the China Open in the last 16, losing to Belgian Elise Mertens in straight sets, 6-3, 6-3.
The defeat came after Gauff faced significant online abuse following a controversial point in a previous match, which sparked a backlash on social media.
Gauff, who had previously beaten Mertens in all five of their previous encounters, struggled throughout the match, committing 34 unforced errors, including eight double faults.
During the match, Gauff admitted to feeling drained and said, 'It has been kind of draining, I’m not going to lie. I just turn off my phone and move on. There’s nothing you can do.'
The 22-year-old, who is a two-time Grand Slam champion, had a tough few days, including a match against local teenager Sun Xinran, where she had to deal with the racial abuse.
Mertens, the 13th seed, reached her first Beijing quarter-final in her seventh appearance at the WTA 1000 tournament. She dedicated her win to her coach/boyfriend, Christopher Heyman, who was celebrating his birthday the next day.
Gauff’s performance was marked by a lack of rhythm and energy, with the American admitting, 'I think I just didn’t play well. I think I wasn’t moving well. There were a lot of things I didn’t do well. I thought Elise played well on the big points, made me play a big ball, yeah.'
The defeat capped a challenging period for Gauff, who had been under pressure due to the online abuse and the physical and mental strain of the tournament.
It has been kind of draining, I’m not going to lie. I just turn off my phone and move on. There’s nothing you can do.
Coco Gauff, Tennis player
So for me, this win is dedicated to him.
Elise Mertens, Tennis player
