Coco Gauff has admitted that she feels drained from hateful and racist comments that she has received online as the American exited the China Open.
It wasn’t Gauff’s day as her recent good form at the event ended in the fourth round as she lost 6-3 6-3 to Elise Mertens.
The world number four was stunned in 1 hour and 20 minutes as the former champion exited the tournament.
After the match Gauff admitted she was disappointed with her result and credited Mertens for her level of performance, “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,” Gauff acknowledged to journalists in Beijing.
“I thought Elise played well on the big points, made me play a big ball, yeah. I mean, obviously a bit disappointing, the result today. I had two good matches. Yeah, I mean, I always enjoy playing here.”
It’s been a wild last 48 hours for Gauff who received racist comments on social media from Chinese supporters over a VAR incident Xinran Sun.
The American stated that the hateful comments have been draining and has had to log off social media, “I mean, it has been kind of draining, I’m not going to lie,” Gauff reflected.
“I just turn off my phone and move on. I mean, there’s nothing you can do.”
Now, Gauff is aiming for some rest ahead of the rest of the season which includes Wuhan and potentially the WTA Finals, “I think just getting rest. I think today I was just a bit flat. That’s the main thing,” Gauff concluded.
“I mean, the two matches that I did play here, or three matches because I guess this one counts, the first two I felt I was a bit more engaged. I thought they were a good level. Today the level was there at some points, I just didn’t sustain it the whole match.”
As for Mertens, the Belgian will now face Iga Swiatek in the quarter-finals on Friday after the Pole defeated Iva Jovic in straight sets.
