
A heated moment at the China Open’s third round saw Coco Gauff’s match against 16-year-old prodigy Xinran Sun turn emotional after a disputed call. During a tight first-set rally, Gauff successfully challenged a point lost to Sun, citing interference from flashing LED advertisements.
The replayed point allowed Gauff to break Sun’s serve, sparking visible frustration from the junior champion, who broke down in tears. Though Gauff later praised Sun’s maturity and talent—calling her an “incredible player”—social media fans criticized the American for not apologizing, arguing she could have avoided the replay by stopping play sooner.
The controversy proved pivotal: Sun, the world No. 1 junior and US Open junior champion, collapsed in the second set, losing 6-1 after dropping the first 7-5.
Gauff, now the tournament’s top seed following upsets to Rybakina and Sabalenka, advances to face Elise Mertens next, while Sun’s promising campaign ends in Beijing.

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