Chris Evert turned from a historically elite player to an elite tennis commentator, and she rarely speaks or tweets without thought and substance. So when she took to social media to voice her opinion about a recent issue surrounding Coco Gauff, Evert did so with full awareness.
The problem stems from a match Gauff played against 16-year-old Chinese player Sun Xinran. In a tight first set, Gauff stopped mid-point after an advertising board behind Xinran began flickering. The chair umpire ruled that the point be started over, and Gauff went on to win the set and the match.
Xinran might have felt she had a real chance to upset Gauff as the Chinese player was performing well, but after the stoppage, she appeared to wilt. Gauff won the second set easily, 6-1. After the match, Gauff said she received a lot of racist comments directed at her for what some viewed as being unsportsmanlike.
Chris Evert rightfully stands behind Coco Gauff after social media backlash
Gauff lost her following match and then withdrew from the Wuhan Open. She was mentally wiped out and didn't want to keep facing the criticism. She had done nothing wrong, and Gauff isn't known for being a poor sport. Chris Evert echoed that in a tweet on Thursday.
Evert wrote, "Why are the 'haters' attacking Coco Gauff? 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."
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…
— Chris Evert (@ChrissieEvert) October 8, 2026
She's right, of course. Gauff is known for being a great competitor, never giving up despite her own mistakes at times, but she isn't known for disrespecting her opponents or playing gamesmanship that is meant to throw an opponent off their game.
Gauff certainly wasn't doing that with a 16-year-old player trying to find her footing on the WTA Tour. Any player might have stopped play when an LED board began flickering. That is more distracting than fans not taking their seats quickly enough during a match. Trying to focus on a ball while lights are taking one's attention away is nearly impossible.
Evert also isn't one to give players a pass if she feels the player has done something out of bounds in terms of sportsmanship. That wasn't what Gauff was doing, and Evert knows it. The ultimate shame is that once again one of the best current players was a victim of social media, a toxic environment that often hurts more than it helps.
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