The No. 4 player in the world lost in straight sets to Elise Mertens after telling her camp mid-match that she felt like she was going to pass out.
Coco Gauff did not look like herself Wednesday at the China Open. Down in the second set to Elise Mertens, Gauff was heard telling her camp that she had no energy and felt like she was going to "pass out." Gauff, the No. 4 player in the world, lost to the Belgian in straight sets.
After the match, Gauff admitted she's struggled with online abuse she's received over the last several days. "It has been kind of draining, I'm not going to lie," Gauff told reporters in Beijing. "I just turn off my phone and move on. There's nothing you can do."
The abuse followed an incident on Monday during her match with Sun Xinran, who was playing in her home country. Serving at 4-5 in the first set, Gauff stopped a rally, claiming the electronic advertising board had distracted her. The moment led to accusations that she had cheated.
By Wednesday, the toll was visible on court against Mertens, a player Gauff had previously beaten every time they met.