Magda Linette sparked controversy at the Wuhan Open after a social media post referencing “the virus database” stirred backlash for being insensitive. The Polish tennis player, who breezed past 11th-seed Liudmila Samsonova in her opening match, shared the post upon arriving in Wuhan, where COVID-19 cases were first reported in 2019. Although likely intended as humor, the post struck a nerve with fans, particularly Chinese followers, who perceived it as offensive.
Amid the backlash, Linette deleted the post but faced chants of “Apologize” during her post-match interview. Linette attempted to address the crowd directly, but her microphone was taken away by the interviewer, who did not translate her apology and instead summarized her comments as gratitude toward the fans.
This incident has drawn comparisons to a previous uproar involving Paula Badosa, who apologized for an insensitive gesture with chopsticks. Linette, currently ranked 45th, will now face Ukraine’s Lesia Tsurenko in the third round on October 9. The two are evenly matched, with a 2-2 head-to-head record, adding tension to an already scrutinized appearance for Linette at the Wuhan Open.
Choć pewnie dla nas ostatni wpis Magdy Linette był w pełni zrozumiały, to w Azji wywołał wiele kontrowersji i falę hejtu.
— Magda Linette Fanpage (@MagdaLinetteFP) October 8, 2024
Dziś po meczu Magda mimo przeszkód przeprosiła za niego chińskich kibiców. Brawo za klasę i odwagę.
Oby już było spokojniej! ✊🏻💙pic.twitter.com/aebhAVESYg
