American tennis star Coco Gauff has withdrawn from the Wuhan Open, citing fatigue and the need to recover after a long season.
The 22-year-old, who won the Wuhan Open last year without dropping a set, made the decision after her fourth-round exit from the China Open in Beijing.
Gauff was beaten 6-3, 6-3 by Belgium’s Elise Mertens on Wednesday, ending her run at the tournament.
The defeat came after a difficult few days for the world number four, who revealed that she had received what she described as an “insane” amount of racist comments and direct messages on social media following her previous match against Chinese teenager Sun Xinran.
During that match, Gauff stopped play after being distracted by flickering advertising boards around the court. The chair umpire ordered the point to be replayed, and Gauff went on to defeat Sun 7-5, 6-1.
The decision sparked backlash online, with some users accusing Gauff of cheating. She responded by saying people could disagree with her without resorting to racism and insisted that she had simply followed the rules.
The WTA condemned the abuse directed at Gauff, saying there was no place for racism, discrimination or abuse in tennis and that it was in contact with the American to offer its support.
After her loss to Mertens, Gauff admitted that the situation had been draining.
“It has been kind of draining, I’m not going to lie,” she said, adding that she had been turning off her phone and moving on from the abuse.
Gauff then announced her withdrawal from the Wuhan Open, where she was due to defend her title.
“I’m disappointed to withdraw from Wuhan, especially as the defending champion,” Gauff said. “After a long year, my body needs some time to rest and recover. I look forward to returning next year.”
The Wuhan Open runs from October 12 to 18. Gauff joins world number one Elena Rybakina among notable players who have withdrawn from the tournament, with Rybakina pulling out because of a foot injury.
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