American tennis star Coco Gauff said on Tuesday that she faced an ‘insane’ amount of online racist abuse after defeating Chinese teenager Sun Xinran in a match that included a video review. During Monday's China Open match against 16-year-old Sun Xinran in Beijing, the former US Open champion requested a video review over flickering LED lights, prompting some boos from the crowd.&nbsp;"Hey everyone, you can dislike me or disagree about what happened without being racist," Gauff wrote on X. "The amount of racist comments and messages I've received in the last few hours is insane," her post read.&nbsp;The umpire agreed for the point to be replayed, and 22-year-old Gauff went on to win the match 7-5, 6-1. Responding on X to a post containing a racial slur that was flagged as potential ‘hateful content’, the Black American player clarified in a separate post that she challenged the point before Sun's return when she noticed the lights flicker a second time.&nbsp;&nbsp;Also read| <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/daniil-medvedev-reveals-why-he-struck-ball-that-hit-spectator-at-china-open-1791256340796">Daniil Medvedev reveals why he struck ball that hit spectator at China Open</a>&nbsp;"I think it's weird I'm getting hate for following the rules," she said, explaining that players are instructed they can challenge points after play has concluded. "Xinran is an incredible talent and player. I apologised for the situation at the end of the match, and she completely understood," she added.&nbsp;By Tuesday morning, the hashtag ‘Gauff apologised to Sun Xinran after the match’ had hit 4.5 million views, ranking as the sixth top trend on Chinese social media platform Weibo.<h2>Sinner’s season is over</h2>Tennis world number one Jannik Sinner has brought a premature end to his season due to a knee injury, the Italian announced on Tuesday.&nbsp;"Me, together with the doctors, have decided that I need a course of treatment for my knee, which means that the 2026 season is officially over," Sinner said in a video posted on social media.&nbsp;The 25-year-old's announcement came just over a month before he was due to defend his crown at the ATP Finals in Turin. Sinner had finished the previous two seasons on a high by winning in Turin, leading to "so many beautiful feelings and emotions", he said.&nbsp;"This year is going to be way different," he acknowledged. "But at the moment, I also need to think about my long-term career."&nbsp;He has had an impressive, if injury-hit season, winning Wimbledon in July and five Masters 1000 events. He has won all six finals he has played in this year. The Italian's 94 per cent winning record in 2026 is the best of his career, even beating his figures from the previous two seasons in each of which he won two Grand Slams and the ATP Finals.&nbsp;A statement from Sinner's management team said that he would "follow a course of treatment for inflammation in his knee", which would help him "to recover before beginning preparations for 2027".

Coco Gauff decries online racist abuse following her China Open match, while World No. 1 Jannik Sinner ends his 2026 season due to a knee injury.

American tennis star Coco Gauff said on Tuesday that she faced an ‘insane’ amount of online racist abuse after defeating Chinese teenager Sun Xinran in a match that included a video review. During Monday's China Open match against 16-year-old Sun Xinran in Beijing, the former US Open champion requested a video review over flickering LED lights, prompting some boos from the crowd. "Hey everyone, you can dislike me or disagree about what happened without being racist," Gauff wrote on X. "The amount of racist comments and messages I've received in the last few hours is insane," her post read. The umpire agreed for the point to be replayed, and 22-year-old Gauff went on to win the match 7-5, 6-1. Responding on X to a post containing a racial slur that was flagged as potential ‘hateful content’, the Black American player clarified in a separate post that she challenged the point before Sun's return when she noticed the lights flicker a second time. Also read| Daniil Medvedev reveals why he struck ball that hit spectator at China Open "I think it's weird I'm getting hate for following the rules," she said, explaining that players are instructed they can challenge points after play has concluded. "Xinran is an incredible talent and player. I apologised for the situation at the end of the match, and she completely understood," she added. By Tuesday morning, the hashtag ‘Gauff apologised to Sun Xinran after the match’ had hit 4.5 million views, ranking as the sixth top trend on Chinese social media platform Weibo. Sinner’s season is over Tennis world number one Jannik Sinner has brought a premature end to his season due to a knee injury, the Italian announced on Tuesday. "Me, together with the doctors, have decided that I need a course of treatment for my knee, which means that the 2026 season is officially over," Sinner said in a video posted on social media. The 25-year-old's announcement came just over a month before he was due to defend his crown at the ATP Finals in Turin. Sinner had finished the previous two seasons on a high by winning in Turin, leading to "so many beautiful feelings and emotions", he said. "This year is going to be way different," he acknowledged. "But at the moment, I also need to think about my long-term career." He has had an impressive, if injury-hit season, winning Wimbledon in July and five Masters 1000 events. He has won all six finals he has played in this year. The Italian's 94 per cent winning record in 2026 is the best of his career, even beating his figures from the previous two seasons in each of which he won two Grand Slams and the ATP Finals. A statement from Sinner's management team said that he would "follow a course of treatment for inflammation in his knee", which would help him "to recover before beginning preparations for 2027".

Coco Gauff decries online racist abuse following her China Open match, while World No. 1 Jannik Sinner ends his 2026 season due to a knee injury.

Tennis Brief: Gauff calls out online racism after China Open video review; Sinner sidelined for season with knee injury

Football chiefs in England have penned a letter to the bosses of social media giants Twitter and Facebook calling for action to tackle "havens of abuse" after a series of online racist incidents.&nbsp;&nbsp;

An open letter to the platforms’ chief executives Jack Dorsey and Mark Zuckerberg has asked them&nbsp;"for reasons of basic human decency" to address the long-term problem.&nbsp;

Swansea's Yan Dhanda was the latest to face racial abuse on social media platform following his team's defeat against Manchester City in the FA Cup. A number of players including the likes of Anthony Martial, Marcus Rashford, Axel&nbsp;Tuanzebe&nbsp;along with Chelsea's Reece James have been subjected to racial abuse on social media in recent weeks.&nbsp;&nbsp;

"The language used is debasing, often threatening and illegal," said the letter. "It causes distress to the recipients and the vast majority of people who abhor racism, sexism and discrimination of any kind.&nbsp;

"We have had many meetings with your executives over the years but the reality is your platforms remain havens for abuse."&nbsp;

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/coup-de-france-neymar-jr-injured-as-paris-st-germain-reach-round-of-32-362845" hreflang="en">Coup de France: Neymar Jr. injured as Paris St Germain reach round of 32</a>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
A letter to <a href="https://twitter.com/Facebook?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Facebook</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/Twitter?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Twitter</a>: <a href="https://t.co/tH4i1XfufA">https://t.co/tH4i1XfufA</a> 
 
✍️ The FA 
✍️ <a href="https://twitter.com/premierleague?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@premierleague</a> 
✍️ <a href="https://twitter.com/EFL?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@EFL</a> 
✍️ <a href="https://twitter.com/BarclaysFAWSL?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BarclaysFAWSL</a> 
✍️ <a href="https://twitter.com/FAWomensChamp?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FAWomensChamp</a> 
✍️ <a href="https://twitter.com/PFA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PFA</a> 
✍️ <a href="https://twitter.com/LMA_Managers?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@LMA_Managers</a> 
✍️ PGMOL 
✍️ <a href="https://twitter.com/kickitout?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@kickitout</a> <a href="https://t.co/QcF73DZ5qy">pic.twitter.com/QcF73DZ5qy</a>
— The FA (@FA) <a href="https://twitter.com/FA/status/1359804425531981826?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 11, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

Signatories of the letter include&nbsp;Football Association chief executive Mark Bullingham, Premier League CEO Richard Masters and referees chief Mike Riley.&nbsp;

"Your inaction has created the belief in the minds of the anonymous perpetrators that they are beyond reach," they said.&nbsp;

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/manchester-city-see-off-swansea-to-rack-up-record-15th-straight-win-362862" hreflang="en">Manchester City see off Swansea to rack up record 15th straight win</a>

The much-talked-about letter calls on the platforms to develop mechanism to tackle, filter and block posts with racist or discriminatory content while taking down offending material. An improvement in verification process to identify the account holders has&nbsp;also been asked&nbsp;by the football chiefs.&nbsp;

Photo-blogging platform Instagram, owned by Facebook, on Wednesday announced new measures in a bid to tackle online abuses.&nbsp;

The letter from football chiefs acknowledged the steps being taken but said "far more is needed to drive change".&nbsp;&nbsp;

Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden said tech giants could face hefty fines under new legislation.&nbsp;

"We're introducing a new age of accountability for these (social media) companies through our upcoming Online Safety Bill and this could see huge fines for firms which fail to clearly and transparently protect their users," he said.&nbsp;

(With AFP inputs)&nbsp;

Football chiefs in England have penned a letter to the bosses of social media giants Twitter and Facebook calling for action to tackle "havens of abuse" after a series of online racist incidents.

Football chiefs in England have penned a letter to the bosses of social media giants Twitter and Facebook calling for action to tackle "havens of abuse" after a series of online racist incidents. An open letter to the platforms’ chief executives Jack Dorsey and Mark Zuckerberg has asked them "for reasons of basic human decency" to address the long-term problem. Swansea's Yan Dhanda was the latest to face racial abuse on social media platform following his team's defeat against Manchester City in the FA Cup. A number of players including the likes of Anthony Martial, Marcus Rashford, Axel Tuanzebe along with Chelsea's Reece James have been subjected to racial abuse on social media in recent weeks. "The language used is debasing, often threatening and illegal," said the letter. "It causes distress to the recipients and the vast majority of people who abhor racism, sexism and discrimination of any kind. "We have had many meetings with your executives over the years but the reality is your platforms remain havens for abuse." ALSO READ: Coup de France: Neymar Jr. injured as Paris St Germain reach round of 32 A letter to @Facebook and @Twitter: https://t.co/tH4i1XfufA ✍️ The FA ✍️ @premierleague ✍️ @EFL ✍️ @BarclaysFAWSL ✍️ @FAWomensChamp ✍️ @PFA ✍️ @LMA_Managers ✍️ PGMOL ✍️ @kickitout pic.twitter.com/QcF73DZ5qy — The FA (@FA) February 11, 2021 × Signatories of the letter include Football Association chief executive Mark Bullingham, Premier League CEO Richard Masters and referees chief Mike Riley. "Your inaction has created the belief in the minds of the anonymous perpetrators that they are beyond reach," they said. ALSO READ: Manchester City see off Swansea to rack up record 15th straight win The much-talked-about letter calls on the platforms to develop mechanism to tackle, filter and block posts with racist or discriminatory content while taking down offending material. An improvement in verification process to identify the account holders has also been asked by the football chiefs. Photo-blogging platform Instagram, owned by Facebook, on Wednesday announced new measures in a bid to tackle online abuses. The letter from football chiefs acknowledged the steps being taken but said "far more is needed to drive change". Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden said tech giants could face hefty fines under new legislation. "We're introducing a new age of accountability for these (social media) companies through our upcoming Online Safety Bill and this could see huge fines for firms which fail to clearly and transparently protect their users," he said. (With AFP inputs)

Football bosses demand Twitter, Facebook to tackle 'havens of abuse'

Leicester City boss Brendan Rodgers condemned online racist abuses directed at football players, however, also urged them to not use social media platforms to seek validation about their performances.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/four-goal-man-city-crush-liverpool-kane-stars-for-spurs-362068" hreflang="en">Four-goal Man City crush Liverpool, Kane stars for Spurs</a>

Last week, the Football Association (FA) wanted the government and social media companies to act quickly in the fight against online racist abuse.

Many football players, including Manchester United's Marcus Rashford, have been subjected to online racist abuse.

Rodgers said the abuse was "unacceptable" but added players were likely to receive negative comments on social media and must learn to deal with the criticism.

"I would say casually to players that if they need it, great, but if you don't I don't see why you would bother and don't look for the gratification to see how well you've done just by switching on social media," Rodgers said.

"If you are only on there to receive gratification for everything you've done really well and the minute you don't do something well and get criticised for it you crumble, then that's not saying a great deal.

"You have to take the rough with the smooth."&nbsp;

(Inputs from Reuters)

Leicester City boss Brendan Rodgers condemned online racist abuses directed at football players, however, also urged them to not use social media platforms to seek validation about their performances.

Leicester City boss Brendan Rodgers condemned online racist abuses directed at football players, however, also urged them to not use social media platforms to seek validation about their performances. ALSO READ: Four-goal Man City crush Liverpool, Kane stars for Spurs Last week, the Football Association (FA) wanted the government and social media companies to act quickly in the fight against online racist abuse. Many football players, including Manchester United's Marcus Rashford, have been subjected to online racist abuse. Rodgers said the abuse was "unacceptable" but added players were likely to receive negative comments on social media and must learn to deal with the criticism. "I would say casually to players that if they need it, great, but if you don't I don't see why you would bother and don't look for the gratification to see how well you've done just by switching on social media," Rodgers said. "If you are only on there to receive gratification for everything you've done really well and the minute you don't do something well and get criticised for it you crumble, then that's not saying a great deal. "You have to take the rough with the smooth." (Inputs from Reuters)

'Unacceptable': Leicester City Brendan Rodgers condemns online racist abuse

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta on Thursday said that social media companies must take complete responsibility to help stop the online abuse of players as their mental health can be affected if they are targeted.&nbsp;

Last week, Manchester United's Marcus Rashford, Axel Tuanzebe and Anthony Martial, West Brom's Romaine Sawyers and Chelsea's James Reece were subject to online racism.&nbsp;

"There are all types of different abuses and it has to be eradicated completely," Arteta told reporters. "I think social media has a big responsibility. Because then you talk about the mental health of players... and how exposed they are.

"I'm all open for people to have opinions, but not just to be insulting people, abusing people and using a screen behind a phone to say whatever you want about a person you don't know.

"That has to be eradicated because it's causing a lot of damage in football, a lot of damage to public people."

Last month, Liverpool skipper Jordan Henderson and Karen Carney held talks with government ministers regarding online abuse and discrimination.&nbsp;

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta on Thursday said that social media companies must take complete responsibility to help stop the online abuse of players as their mental health can be affected if they are targeted.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta on Thursday said that social media companies must take complete responsibility to help stop the online abuse of players as their mental health can be affected if they are targeted. Last week, Manchester United's Marcus Rashford, Axel Tuanzebe and Anthony Martial, West Brom's Romaine Sawyers and Chelsea's James Reece were subject to online racism. "There are all types of different abuses and it has to be eradicated completely," Arteta told reporters. "I think social media has a big responsibility. Because then you talk about the mental health of players... and how exposed they are. "I'm all open for people to have opinions, but not just to be insulting people, abusing people and using a screen behind a phone to say whatever you want about a person you don't know. "That has to be eradicated because it's causing a lot of damage in football, a lot of damage to public people." Last month, Liverpool skipper Jordan Henderson and Karen Carney held talks with government ministers regarding online abuse and discrimination.

'That has to be eradicated': Mike Arteta urges social media firms to help stop online abuse of players

online-racism

Online Racism, News on Online Racism, stories on Online Racism, articles on Online Racism, Online Racism stories at Wion, Online Racism news, Online Racism latest news