American tennis sensation Coco Gauff’s career is on the upswing this year. Her abysmal Wimbledon outing aside, Gauff has been performing consistently. She recently claimed her first title on her home soil, by winning the Citi Open in Washington. As dynamic as she is on the tennis court, Coco has a strong social media presence as well.
As a black woman in tennis, Gauff has had to deal with racism all her life. But recently, she took to Twitter to share a racist but funny anecdote with her fans.
Gauff revealed how she has been mistaken for other black tennis players like the Williams sisters when signing autographs. She added how she got mistaken for Leylah Fernandez too.
I sign autographs as myself but occasionally I am somehow also signing as Sloane, Venus, Serena, Taylor, Alycia, and yesterday I got Leylah for the first time lollll. https://t.co/bnynHNkwCA
— Coco Gauff (@CocoGauff) August 9, 2023
Fernandez has Canadian, Filipino, and Ecuadorian ancestry, so this case of mistaken identity was hilarious. Of course, Gauff is not the only black athlete to face this. Chris Eubanks also chipped in with this experience in DC.
I got called Monfils twice in DC lol
— Christopher Eubanks (@chris_eubanks96) August 9, 2023
Gauff’s doubles partner Jessica Pegula also opened up about her funny experience. She mentioned how she was mistaken for Coco by a woman who asked for an autograph.
One time I signed and the woman thought I was you…that one got me lol
— Jessie Pegula (@JPegula) August 9, 2023
Both Gauff and Pegula cleared their first-round matches at the Canadian Open. Coco will lock horns with the Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova next.
While Coco Gauff shared her funny experiences, Sloane Stephens believes racism has actually got worse
Sloane Stephens, the American tennis player believes that racism has worsened. She added that the software created with the help of artificial intelligence is very ineffective against racial abuse.
As a black woman, the 30-year-old American has had to deal with racism all her career. Sloane’s statements came at the French Open, after defeating Karolína Plíšková.
“Yes, it’s obviously been a problem my entire career,” said Stephens. “It has never stopped. If anything, it’s only gotten worse,” (via USA Today).
Unfortunately, racism is an issue that has worsened as more people hide behind an anonymous accounts to send hate. Stephens is not alone in her experience, as other notable players like Serena Williams and Naomi Osaka have faced it too.
Serena Williams and her older sibling Venus were subjected to horrible racist stereotypes in their careers. A notable sports commentator had said that the Williams sisters were more likely to pose nude for National Geography than Playboy.
Naomi Osaka, a well-known name in the tennis circuit was not spared either. She eventually retired from the French Open in 2021, citing mental health reasons.
As technology has progressed, so has the abuse of power. Athletes, especially black and other people of color find themselves at the center of this kind of abuse. Unless drastic measures are taken, racism will persist.
