Coco Gauff, the American tennis star, recently spoke out about the negative impact of online harassment following her exit from the China Open. Gauff was defeated by Elise Mertens in a match that surprised many observers, given that Gauff had won all five of their previous professional encounters. Following the match, Gauff publicly addressed the situation, noting that the racist abuse she encountered online left her feeling emotionally drained.

While both Sky Sports and ESPN confirm that Gauff cited the abuse as a source of exhaustion, the outlets differ slightly in their focus. Sky Sports explicitly labels the harassment as 'racist abuse' in its headline and opening, framing the story primarily through the lens of the player's experience with online toxicity. ESPN, while acknowledging the abusive comments, focuses more heavily on the statistical context of the match, noting Gauff’s previous dominance over Mertens before transitioning to her comments on the harassment. Neither outlet provided specific examples of the comments or detailed the platform where the abuse occurred, leaving the scope and nature of the online activity largely undefined for the reader.