(Melbourne) “Pathetic”, “lack of courage”… The organizers of the Australian Open sparked a controversy by asking supporters on Sunday to remove their t-shirts in support of Chinese player Peng Shuai, whom activists have since promised to print en masse.
Posted at 9:41 a.m.
Updated at 10:00 a.m.
“Where is Peng Shuai? Neither on the courts of the Australian Open, nor even in the stands, on signs or t-shirts bearing the hashtag which went viral several months ago.
On Sunday, fans were forced to remove them on the grounds that the Australian Open “does not allow political clothing, banners or signs”, according to a spokesperson for the Australian Tennis Federation.
She was quick to say that “Peng Shuai’s safety” was her “primary concern” and that she continued “to work with the WTA and the global tennis community to obtain further clarification on her situation and (would) do everything (his) possible to ensure his well-being”.
But the decision of “Tennis Australia” has provoked the indignation of several personalities in the field, who have, in fact, put more light on these t-shirts.
“Not a political message”
Czech-American Martina Navratilova, a tennis legend with 18 Grand Slam singles titles, called the decision “pathetic” on Twitter, saying “the WTA (was) on its own ! ! ! »
“I find it cowardly, it is not a political message, it is a message in favor of human rights, she developed on the American television channel Tennis Channel. The WTA has been so strong on this subject… To capitulate like this, on the part of the Australians, I find it really weak. »
The body that manages the women’s tennis circuit canceled all of its tournaments in China in December, calling for a transparent investigation into the player’s allegations of rape.
Frenchman Nicolas Mahut, eliminated in the first round of the doubles tournament in Melbourne, also protested on Twitter: “What a lack of courage! What if you had no Chinese sponsors? »
The weight of sponsors?
The former world No.1 in doubles was referring to Luzhou Laojiao, a Chinese brand of alcohol, which has been one of the most important financiers of the Australian Open for several years. Court N.2, one of the five largest in Melbourne, has also been renamed “1573 arena”, in reference to the year in which the Chinese company was created.
In response to organizers’ ban, Australian human rights activist Drew Pavlou managed to raise more than AUD 14,000 (over 9,000 euros) on the GoFundMe platform to print the same t-shirts and distribute them to spectators ahead of the final of the women’s tournament.
“We print 1,000 T-shirts and we’ll see how many spectators they can arrest,” pro-Hong Kong activist Max Mok told ABC.
Asked at a daily press conference on Monday, a spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry said his country “has always been against the politicization of sport, which is unpopular and does not work”.
The case erupted in early November, when Peng Shuai had mentioned in a message on the Chinese social network Weibo – since deleted – a “forced” sexual relationship with former Deputy Prime Minister Zhang Gaoli, married and forty years his senior. .
The former world No.1 in doubles, who had then no longer made an appearance in public for several weeks, then returned to her remarks in an interview with the Singaporean newspaper Lianhe Zaobao.
But the WTA had continued to express its “concern” and “serious doubts” about the player’s freedom of movement.
Since Sunday, it is that of the spectators wearing these t-shirts in question in Melbourne.