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Victoria Azarenka Comments on Controversy in Coco Gauff’s China Open Match

Coco Gauff overcame Sun Xinran in the third round of the 2026 China Open. Early in the first set, Gauff requested a video review after Xinran scored a winner, claiming that distracting LED screens at the side of the court affected her play. The umpire ordered the point to be replayed. Gauff won the replay and went on to win the match 7-5, 6-1.

The 16-year-old Xinran was clearly upset by the decision and struggled to regain her composure, losing her first WTA Tour main-draw match and dropping to a 2-1 record. Gauff faced heavy criticism and unacceptable social media backlash after the incident.

Victoria Azarenka, former world number one, has stepped in to defend Gauff, sharing her perspective on the controversial video replay episode in Beijing.

Azarenka Calls for Fairness and Understanding

The two-time Grand Slam champion, who has kept a low profile recently, returned to comment on the situation. She described video reviews as a relatively new part of tennis and noted confusion will continue until rules and procedures are more clearly laid out.

Azarenka also pointed out that Gauff’s timing in calling for the review—just before Xinran’s forehand winner—places responsibility on the umpire. Players like Gauff deserve understanding rather than harsh judgment.

"I don’t think it’s fair to assume anyone acted with bad intentions," Azarenka said, reacting to the wave of online abuse directed at Gauff.

She believes Gauff was within her rights to request the review and should not bear the brunt of criticism. If there is an issue with how reviews work, then the rules should change, not the players.

What’s Next for Coco Gauff at the China Open?

Following her contentious win, Coco Gauff is set to face Belgium’s Elise Mertens on Wednesday, October 7. Mertens, seeded 13th, secured her spot in the last 16 by defeating Katie Volynets and Jelena Ostapenko in three sets.

Gauff’s Path to the Title

  • First round (Bye): –
  • Second round: Camila Osorio (rank 66)
  • Third round: Sun Xinran (rank 582)
  • Fourth round: Elise Mertens (rank 19, seed 13)
  • Quarter-final: Iga Swiatek (rank 9, seed 8), Iva Jovic (seed 10)
  • Semi-final: Elina Svitolina (rank 7, seed 6), Ann Li (seed 21)
  • Final: Mirra Andreeva (rank 5, seed 4), plus Linda Noskova (seed 5), Karolina Muchova (seed 7), Naomi Osaka (seed 12), Ekaterina Alexandrova (seed 19), Nikola Bartunkova (seed 26)

Gauff leads Mertens 5-0 in their head-to-head meetings, giving her confidence going into this match. Should she advance, potential quarter-final opponents include Swiatek and Jovic. Although Gauff trails 5-11 against Swiatek overall, she won their last four encounters and remains unbeaten against Jovic this year.

Top seeds Elena Rybakina and Aryna Sabalenka exited the tournament early, allowing Gauff to avoid them in later rounds. She is likely to meet Ukraine’s Svitolina in the semi-finals and Russia’s Andreeva in the final. Gauff’s record against Svitolina stands at 2-4, but she leads Andreeva 6-0.

Remaining Top Seeds in Beijing

  • 3: Coco Gauff
  • 4: Mirra Andreeva
  • 6: Elina Svitolina
  • 7: Karolina Muchova
  • 8: Iga Swiatek
  • 10: Iva Jovic
  • 13: Elise Mertens
  • 19: Ekaterina Alexandrova
  • 21: Ann Li
  • 26: Nikola Bartunkova

The tournament remains wide open, and Gauff’s performance will be fascinating to watch as she chases the China Open title.

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