WTA stated that it will follow up on Zhang Shuai's withdrawal from the tournament: zero tolerance for any form of racial prejudice and discrimination, Todd | Zhang Shuai | incident
Chinese tennis star Zhang Shuai's suspected unfair judgment at the 250 Budapest Women's Tennis Association station continues to escalate. The WTA official statement on the 20th stated that it is under review and will respond.
The statement stated, "WTA firmly tolerates any form of racial prejudice and discrimination under any circumstances. Regarding the events that occurred earlier in the Budapest race and subsequent related remarks, WTA is currently reviewing and will respond."
In the first round of the Budapest station match, the second seed Zhang Shuai faced the local player Tote who was holding a wild card. The first set was tied 5-5, and the 11th inning was Zhang Shuai's serve. When the two sides finished at 15:15, Zhang Shuai's forehand return was disputed and awarded a penalty. The video showed that Zhang Shuai's ball seemed to be over the line, but was called out by the referee, which sparked protests from Zhang Shuai.
The protest was fruitless as the game continued. After each side received one point, despite Zhang Shuai's shouting "wait a moment, keep the ball mark", Tote walked forward and rubbed the disputed ball mark with his foot. Zhang Shuai once again explained to the referee, "If the ball really goes out of bounds, why did she wipe the ball mark?" "Because you're causing trouble," Tote said to Zhang Shuai.
In the end, Zhang Shuai lost the game and fell behind 5-6. Returning to the sidelines, Zhang Shuai shed tears and chose to withdraw from the game. After Zhang Shuai shook hands with the referee and opponents, Tot lifted his arms and shouted to celebrate his first WTA victory in his professional career.
This incident has escalated among domestic and foreign players, media, and fan groups, with many players supporting Zhang Shuai. Grand Slam winner Azarenka said, "This kind of behavior that goes against sportsmanship is simply astonishing." Russian superstar Kasatkina said, "Oh my god, I can't believe the opponent's reaction. Bad referee, bad sportsmanship. Zhang Shuai, give you a big hug, my friend."