Concern about Chinese tennis player Peng Shuai remains high. And is now also arriving at the Australian Open, which stands out with a controversial decision. Because at the first Grand Slam tournament of the year, certain items of clothing are apparently banned from the stands.
At the Australian Open, the organizers found themselves in need of explanation when dealing with the explosive case of Peng Shuai due to an Internet video. It showed security guards at Melbourne Park preventing spectators from wearing ‘Where’s Peng Shuai?’ T-shirts in support of the Chinese tennis player. to wear. “Our entry conditions do not allow clothing, banners or signs that are commercial or political,” said a spokesman for Tennis Australia on the incident, assuring: “Peng Shuai’s safety is our primary concern.”
Tennis Australia continues to “work with the WTA and the global tennis community to gain more clarity on their situation and we will do whatever we can to ensure their wellbeing.” The footage also shows Australian Open staff removing a banner. The classification of the question about Peng Shuai as “political or commercial” will probably require a detailed explanation from the organizers.
Concerns about Peng Shuai remain high. In November, the former double world number one reported sexual abuse by China’s former Deputy Prime Minister Zhang Gaoli in a short article on the Chinese short message service Weibo. Her subsequent absence from the public led to protests and calls from numerous prominent colleagues and institutions for independently verifiable safety guarantees for the athlete.
Peng then appeared several times, especially in Chinese state media and in a video call with President Thomas Bach of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). However, despite her protestations to the contrary, there are still doubts about the integrity of the 36-year-old, especially since her last statement on December 20 was four weeks ago.
As a consequence of the lack of clarification of Peng’s allegations by the Chinese authorities, the WTA had previously canceled all tournaments in China and its special administrative region of Hong Kong until further notice, despite the associated losses of millions.
