The Australian Open reversed its decision to ban “Where is Peng Shuai?” t-shirts from its grounds after fans protested the Grand Slam’s controversial stance.
Protests erupted last week after a video surfaced showing security officials at Melbourne Park asking spectators to remove their shirts and banners referencing the Chinese tennis player. Tennis Australia argued that their ticket conditions of entry did not allow “clothing, banners or signs that are commercial or political.”
The decision was met with fierce condemnation from human rights groups and the international tennis community. 18-time Grand Slam winner Martina Navratilova criticised the stance on Monday, calling it “pathetic” and “cowardly.” “Tennis Australia is just really capitulating on this issue [...] letting the Chinese really dictate what they do at their own Slam. I just find it really weak,” she declared.
Echoing the sentiment, French player Nicolas Mahut, suggested that organisers were pandering to pressure from the event’s major Chinese corporate sponsors. “What lack of courage! What if you did not have Chinese sponsors,” he wrote. Chinese distillery Luzhu Laojiao and Chinese mattress company De Rucci are major sponsors of the Australian Open.
This is excellent news- well done Australian Open and kudos to Craig Tiley for doing the right thing here!!!#whereisPengShuai https://t.co/TdmEzpHQlY
— Martina Navratilova (@Martina) January 25, 2022
However, less than 24 hours after the tennis body defended its ban, it was forced to announce its reversal. Tournament chief Craig Tiley said Tuesday that spectators would now be permitted to wear the shirts as long as they attended without the “intent to disrupt” and were “peaceful.” “If someone wants to wear a T-shirt and make a statement about Peng Shuai that’s fine,” he was quoted as saying. However, the official added that banners would still not be allowed and that security staff would make decisions on a case-by-case basis as “it really takes away from the comfort and safety of the fans.”
Supporting the reversal, Australian defence minister Peter Dutton said Tuesday that Peng’s safety “is not a political issue. It’s a human rights issue.” “And it’s frankly about the treatment of a young woman who is claiming that she has been sexually assaulted,” Dutton added.
The former doubles world number one disappeared from the public eye for almost three weeks after making sexual assault accusations against former Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli on November 2 on the Chinese social media platform Weibo. Her prolonged absence from public life, except in the company of government officials, following her remarks against the senior Chinese official, has prompted several international sports stars, organisations, and governments to call on Beijing to provide proof of Peng’s safety.
While Peng has since reappeared in public, concerns remain around her well being. In retaliation to China’s attempts to draw attention away from the political disgrace, the Women’s Tennis Association cancelled almost a dozen upcoming events scheduled in China and Hong Kong. In addition, the United States House of Representatives passed Bill 428-0, which refutes the Chinese government’s claims about the safety of Peng Shuai.