Australian Open fan forced to remove Peng Shuai T-shirt; Tennis body defends stand

Two Australian Open 2022 fans were forced to remove their ‘Where is Peng Shuai’ t-shirts by the Tennis Australia (TA) at Melbourne Park on Saturday. With the Chinese former tennis player's whereabouts and well-being still uncertain, TA and Victoria Police confiscated a banner and t-shirts of two fans. The officials cited that political statements and banners are not allowed under the national tennis governing body’s ticketing terms and conditions, while they later went on to state that Peng Shuai’s safety is still a major concern for them.

In a video shared by a Queensland-based candidate running for the Australian Senate a few days ago on Twitter, Max Mok and another spectator can be seen confronted by the TA officials. While TA officials ask the duo to remove their t-shirts saying 'Where is Peng Shuai?', Victorian Police also approached them to further explain the situation. As per a report by The Age, Mok said that someone had found the slogan on their t-shirts and reported them.

Watch the fans being asked to remove their t-shirts:

Peng Shuai's situation is a concern for Tennis Australia

While tennis superstars Naomi Osaka and Nick Kygrios have expressed their concerns about Peng Shuai and her disappearance in the Australian Open, the organizers of the tournament have also termed Peng Shuai a primary concern. As reported by The Age, a TA spokesman said, “Under our ticket conditions of entry, we don’t allow clothing, banners or signs that are commercial or political. Peng Shuai’s safety is our primary concern. We continue to work with the WTA and global tennis community to seek more clarity on her situation and will do everything we can to ensure her wellbeing”.

Hypocrisy is an understatement: Mok

Meanwhile, the report also states that Mok has labelled the entire saga as Tennis Australia’s attempt to avoid a PR disaster. “Hypocrisy is an understatement. It’s not sincere, and it’s just a way for them to avoid a PR disaster”, he said, However, Mok also added that they are fine with the confiscation, however, they are eager to find out why ‘Free Peng Shuai’ is considered controversial. 

Peng Shuai's mysterious disappearance-

Former world no. 14 singles player and part of a No. 1 doubles team, Peng Shuai took to social media platform Weibo and accused Chinese Communist Party member Zhang Gaoli of forcing her to sex. The events that followed left the entire globe raising concerns over Peng’s safety and whereabouts as she was nowhere to be seen on social media. The major concerns were regarding her ability to communicate freely.

(Image: AP/Instagram-@australianopen)