Andy Roddick Slams ‘Disgustingly Racist Filth’ After Coco Gauff Abuse at China Open: “Hope Nothing Good Ever Happens to You”

Coco Gauff withdrew from the Wuhan Open after admitting that racist abuse she was subjected to online following the China Open controversy was “draining”. Gauff last played in the fourth round of the China Open, where she delivered a lackluster performance against Elise Mertens.

During her third-round match against 16-year-old wild card entrant Sun Xinran, Gauff saw the lights on the boards around the court flicker at 4-5 in the first set and stopped the point. The umpire called for a replay, and the teenager became emotional as Gauff went on to win the point, the set, and later the match.

What followed next was scathing remarks from many in the tennis world. Gauff, in fact, was targeted with racist abuse, which prompted her to take to her social media and call out the haters.

But she found supporters among her former and current players. Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova, the two former 18-time Grand Slam singles champions, advised Gauff to ignore the haters and also highlighted that the 22-year-old did not break any rules.

And now former ATP World No.1 Andy Roddick has reacted to the whole controversy. He did not mince his words at all while censuring the online abusers, while also pointing out that his compatriot did nothing wrong during the match.

If you… just because you’re typing it doesn’t mean you’re not saying it. If you are saying [that] to someone, you’re just disgustingly racist filth… or [if] you’re wishing a death-causing disease on someone for a ( ) tennis match – I hope nothing good ever happens to you.

Andy Roddick said during the Served podcast

A similar incident happened during Alexander Zverev versus Novak Djokovic in the China Open quarterfinals. After losing a forehand, Zverev requested a video review because of the flickering light. The Serb was very angry, and he started arguing with Sascha as well as the chair umpire, calling the rule “stupid”. Nole beat Zverev and later took home the title.

There’s so many layers to this, but Coco is one of the most high-character people you’ll ever be around. She will step up to responsibility. She wasn’t wrong. She didn’t cheat. She did nothing wrong. Now, was the timing rough, as they are in tennis matches? Yes. Had we seen it the previous week with Zverev and Djokovic? Yes. She wasn’t wrong. She had a question. She is not someone who ever takes liberties with the rules [or] doesn’t go about things the right way. This is disgusting. It has to stop.

Andy Roddick added

Here’s the video of the incident:

This is the moment where Coco Gauff asked for a video review after a poor volley and an easy put away by Sun. It was a vital point in the match, Sun went onto to lose the replayed point and never recovered losing the next 9 of 10 games and was very upset. https://t.co/Hz0NckTSxM

— Pavvy G (@pavyg) October 5, 2026

Coco Gauff has qualified for the WTA Finals

Although Coco Gauff lost points after withdrawing from the WTA 1000 Wuhan Open, where she is the reigning champion, she has already racked up enough points to secure a spot at the WTA Finals. The season-ending event will run from November 8-15 in Indian Wells.

Gauff is a former champion here, winning in 2024 by defeating Qinwen Zheng. The two-time Grand Slam singles champion made her WTA Finals debut in 2022 and has qualified for every season since then.

She failed to reach the semifinals last year. Elena Rybakina will be competing as the defending champion. She beat Aryna Sabalenka last year.

Gauff will be chasing her second title of the season in the event, following her victory at the Cincinnati Open, where she defeated Jessica Pegula in the final. Apart from Cincinnati, she also reached the final of the Miami Open and the Italian Open, losing both to Sabalenka and Elina Svitolina, respectively.

Also read: Ex-WTA Player Is Losing ‘Sympathy’ for Carlos Alcaraz After Recent Complaints