Coco Gauff has spoken out against racist abuse she received from gamblers following her early exit from the Madrid Open this week.
The 22-year-old American, who has won both US Open and French Open titles, was knocked out in the Round of 16 by Linda Noskova on Monday.
In a TikTok post on Wednesday, Gauff directly addressed those responsible for the abuse.
"@ the angry gamblers saying racist things in my IG comments/dms hiding behind anonymous accounts," she wrote.
The two-time Grand Slam champion's message highlighted how bettors who lost money on her match had turned their frustration into personal attacks through Instagram comments and direct messages.
The abuse directed at Gauff reflects a troubling trend linked to the rapid expansion of legal sports wagering in the United States.
According to the American Gaming Association, the industry generated a record $16.96 billion in revenue last year, with prediction markets doing little to slow its momentum.
That growth came at a significant cost to punters, who collectively lost hundreds of billions of dollars on legal bets in 2025 — roughly 11 per cent more than the previous year.
Tennis players face particular vulnerability to such backlash, competing as individuals without teammates to share responsibility when results disappoint those who have staked money on the outcome.
Gauff's Madrid campaign had already been marred by health problems before her defeat. During her Round of 32 victory over Sorana Cirstea at the weekend, she required a medical timeout and was sick on court while struggling with digestive issues.
@cocogauff you can hide from me but not karma 🫶🏾
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"I don't know how I got it done," Gauff told Sky Sports afterwards. "Just dealing with a lot of trying to keep my food down. But once I threw up — and I was able to throw up after the first set — I felt a bit better."
She attributed her condition to a stomach virus circulating at the tournament.
In her TikTok response to the abuse, Gauff quoted lyrics from rapper Young M.A.: "Yeah they hate, but they broke though (But they broke though) / And when it's time to pop, they a no-show (Where they at?)."