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Jessica Pegula calls Coco Gauff criticism “crazy” as tennis controversy escalates

A heated debate in women’s tennis has escalated after Jessica Pegula and Madison Keys publicly defended Coco Gauff against widespread criticism following a controversial on-court incident at the China Open in Beijing. The dispute began during Gauff’s third-round match on October 5, when she raised her hand to signal a hindrance as her opponent, 16-year-old Sun Xinran—a recent U.S.

Open junior champion—prepared to strike a seemingly winning shot. After video review, the point was replayed in Gauff’s favor, sparking backlash online, including racist abuse directed at the American star.

Pegula, speaking on *The Player’s Box Podcast* on October 13, dismissed the backlash as “crazy,” arguing that the moment was misunderstood and that players often struggle to halt play mid-point when a ball is flying toward them. She and Keys emphasized the difficulty of stopping immediately, especially when distractions like flickering lights occur during a point, as Gauff later clarified she had noticed twice before raising her hand.

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