Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova Questioned Whether They’ll Condemn Taylor Townsend for Her ‘Anti Asian Comments’ Amid Coco Gauff Racism Row

Coco Gauff has pulled out of the ongoing Wuhan Open due to fatigue. As the defending champion, her decision surprised the tennis world.

But in the days leading up to this decision, Gauff was targeted with racist abuse and called a “cheater” and a “thief”. This followed her third-round match against Sun Xinran at the China Open.

Gauff raised her arm during a rally because of a flickering light that caused a hindrance. This happened when Gauff was trailing 4-5 in the first set. The point was replayed, which Gauff won, and she went on to win the set and the match. Xinran, who thought she had hit a winner, broke down in tears.

Gauff apologized to Xinran. But many in the tennis world weren’t ready to forgive the two-time Grand Slam singles champion.

After enduring racist attacks, Gauff took to her X and called out the haters. She then lost easily to Elise Mertens in the fourth round before announcing her decision to withdraw from the Wuhan Open.

Amid the backlash, she found many supporters, two of whom were Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert, the two former 18-time Grand Slam singles champions. Navratilova advised the 22-year-old to ignore the haters.

Dear Coco- ignore these ridiculous people who only see the worst possibilities. You are a great person, a fabulous player, and never, ever have I seen you do anything unsportsmanlike on the court. Just keep winning and ignore the “ignorants “

Martina Navratilova wrote on X

@CocoGauff @HHuotui Dear Coco- ignore these ridiculous people who only see the worst possibilities. You are a great person, a fabulous player and never ever have I seen you do anything unsportsmanlike on the court. Just keep winning and ignore the “ignorants “

— Martina Navratilova (@Martina) October 6, 2026

A similar thing happened during Alexander Zverev‘s match against Novak Djokovic in the quarterfinals of the China Open. Zverev saw the lights flicker, and after losing a forehand, he stopped play, prompting an angry reaction from the Serb. But in both cases, neither Zverev nor Gauff broke any rules.

Why are the “haters” attacking @CocoGauff ? She did everything within the rules. Honestly, Coco is the most genuine, thoughtful, humble human being you’ll ever find. She is loved by everyone in the Tennis world. It’s really disturbing to see her going through this turmoil.#kindness

Chris Evert wrote on X

Why are the "haters" attacking @CocoGauff ? She did everything within the rules. Honestly, Coco is the most genuine, thoughtful, humble human being you’ll ever find. She is loved by everyone in the Tennis world. It’s really disturbing to see her going through this turmoil.#kindness

— Chris Evert (@ChrissieEvert) October 8, 2026

Amid all this, tennis insider Mark “Scoop” Malinowski questioned both Evert and Navratilova whether they would slam Taylor Townsend as well for criticizing Chinese cuisine while she was in Shenzhen for the Billie Jean King Cup last year.

Will @ChrissieEvert @Martina @DickieV condemn @TaylorTownsend for her anti Asian comments last year?

Will @ChrissieEvert @Martina @DickieV condemn @TaylorTownsend for her anti Asian comments last year?

— Scoop Malinowski (@scoopmalinowski) October 11, 2026

Townsend last played at the Guadalajara Open. After defeating Tatjana Maria, the 30-year-old handed the walkover to Marta Kostyuk because she had an emergency appendectomy.

Coco Gauff will represent the USA in the Billie Jean King Cup

When Coco Gauff withdrew from the Wuhan Open, many thought she would only play the WTA Finals in Indian Wells, set to start on November 8. But Gauff has added one more tournament to her schedule.

She is set to represent the USA in the Billie Jean King Cup play-off tie against Hungary (November 21-22). The USA will host Hungary in Florida.

Gauff will be playing in the Billie Jean King Cup for the first time in three years. The USA, an 18-time champion, did not participate in this year’s Billie Jean King Cup Finals, held in Shenzhen last month. The Czech Republic defeated Ukraine to win the title for the 12th time.

Gauff has qualified for the WTA Finals for the fifth consecutive time after making her debut in 2022. She won the title in 2024 by defeating Qinwen Zheng.

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