American tennis star Coco Gauff has opened up about the emotional impact of racist abuse she received online during the China Open, saying the experience left her feeling drained after her tournament ended in the fourth round.

The 22-year-old was beaten 6-3, 6-3 by Belgium’s Elise Mertens in Beijing on Wednesday, ending her run at the WTA 1000 tournament.

Gauff, who entered the competition as the third seed and is ranked fourth in the world, struggled to find her best level against Mertens. She committed eight double faults and 34 unforced errors during the 78-minute contest.

Speaking after the match, Gauff acknowledged that the events of the previous few days had affected her.

She said the online abuse had been “kind of draining,” adding that her approach was to switch off her phone and continue with her life rather than allow the comments to consume her.

The controversy began during Gauff’s previous match against 16-year-old Chinese player Sun Xinran.

During their third-round encounter, Gauff stopped play after noticing flickering electronic advertising boards around the court. The chair umpire subsequently ordered the point to be replayed, and Gauff went on to win the match 7-5, 6-1.

The incident triggered criticism online, with Gauff subsequently reporting that she had received a large volume of racist comments and direct messages.

In a post on X, Gauff made it clear that fans were free to disagree with her without resorting to racism. She also explained that she had acted within the rules and had apologised to Sun after the match.

The teenager, who was making her WTA Tour debut after receiving a wild card, was visibly upset following the defeat. Gauff later praised Sun's talent and expressed sympathy for the young player.

The Women's Tennis Association also condemned the abuse directed at Gauff and said it was in contact with the American player to offer support. The organisation stressed that racism, discrimination and abuse have no place in tennis.

Despite the difficult circumstances, Gauff did not blame the online abuse entirely for her defeat to Mertens. She admitted that she simply did not play well and struggled with her movement and overall performance.

Mertens, meanwhile, produced one of the biggest results of the tournament for her by defeating Gauff for the first time in six meetings. The Belgian advanced to the quarter-finals, where she is set to face former world No. 1 Iga Swiatek.

For Gauff, the China Open exit brings an end to a difficult few days, but the controversy has also renewed attention on the problem of racist and abusive behaviour directed at athletes online.

The American's response has been to step away from the noise, focus on her tennis and move forward.

Reporting by TalkNaijaMedia