What kind of social media abuse did Coco Gauff face?

Coco Gauff faced intense criticism and abuse on social media, particularly concerning her natural hairstyle in a recent photoshoot.

What are the consequences of social media toxicity for tennis players?

Tennis stars like Coco Gauff endure severe online toxicity, including death threats, racist comments, and harassment directed at themselves and their families.

What does Coco Gauff want social media platforms to do?

Coco Gauff is urging social media platforms to increase accountability and step in to create a healthier and safer online environment for all users, especially athletes.

Home / Sports / Gauff Slams Social Media Abuse After Photoshoot Backlash

Gauff Slams Social Media Abuse After Photoshoot Backlash

7 Apr

Summary

Coco Gauff received intense criticism for her natural hair in a photoshoot.
Tennis stars face severe online abuse, including death threats and racist comments.
Gauff urges social media platforms to increase accountability for user conduct.

Gauff Slams Social Media Abuse After Photoshoot Backlash

Coco Gauff has expressed her emotional distress following harsh social media criticism over a recent photoshoot. The intense backlash, specifically targeting her natural hairstyle, reminded the tennis star why she limits her activity on certain platforms.

Gauff, a prominent figure in women's tennis, recently participated in a fashion shoot for Miu Miu, which unfortunately drew significant negative attention and disappointment from some online users.

Reflecting on her experience, Gauff stated on X, "Deleted twitter for a month, came back today, and got instantly reminded why I should not be on here lol :/". This sentiment echoes her previous admission at the Miami Open earlier this year, where she revealed taking a break from the platform to escape online toxicity.

Earlier in 2025, at the German Open, Gauff elaborated on the pervasive negativity impacting players. She shared that tennis athletes frequently receive death threats and that personal attacks often extend to their families. "It's the worst you can get. Death threats, to your family, to yourself. I've had people DM [direct message] my boyfriend and friends about it. Racist comments, like all you can imagine. Nudity, things like that," Gauff stated, describing the "gross kind of thing that we have going on in tennis."

She strongly called for accountability from social media platforms, urging them to "step in" to foster a healthier online space for everyone. Gauff emphasized that this is an issue that needs continuous awareness and suggested that platforms should address these comments not just for tennis players but also for influencers and other athletes.

In terms of her on-court career, Gauff was last seen competing at the Miami Open, where she reached the finals before being defeated by World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka.

Disclaimer: This story has been auto-aggregated and auto-summarised by a computer program. This story has not been edited or created by the Feedzop team.