When cultural sensitivity is tested, do the WTA players pass with flying colors or falter? Well, Paula Badosa’s controversial picture, holding chopsticks to her eyes while squinting, did not appear to amuse fans in China. Despite the former World No. 2’s apologies and withdrawal from the Wuhan Open, the outrage among fans is palpable. Unfortunately, joining her team is Magda Lynette, who also faced criticism regarding her unpleasant statement about the “virus” while coming to Wuhan. Weighing in on the matter, Serena Williams’ ex-coach, Rennae Stubbs, has lambasted Basoda and Linette for their “bad” actions in China!

On the October 8th episode of the Rennae Stubbs Tennis Podcast, Stubbs and Eliza Wastcoat recapped the recent matches in China. However, after Stubbs mentioned the ATP players who have made some “dumb mistakes” on-court, she shifted to women’s tennis players who have done the same and talked about Paula Badosa and Magda Lynette’s recent controversies with their social media posts. “Magda Lynette said what she said being in Wuhan. Listen, what are you doing? And then she tried to apologize. Just don’t do it in the first place,” the former player began.

The Australian coach further added, “Badosa, the coach putting the photo up. What are you guys doing? You gotta have a better sense of this. To go into a country and essentially make fun of the country you’re in, the people. It’s bad enough you’re doing it in public. But to put it out on the social media, what are you doing?” Soon, Wastcoat chimed in to address the “ignorance” of the WTA players. 

“It raises the question that does WTA have to educate you before you come out to this countries and represent women’s tennis as a larger game and not just yourself as an individual,” said Wastcoat, further referring to their “poor” actions. She added, “And the apologies.. were oh like I didn’t know.” At this point, Stubbs intervened and rhetorically asked, “You don’t know you are offending someone? Are you kidding?”  

Wastcoat further criticized their “childish” and “high-school kind of behavior” and added that she expects “better from the both of them.” Soon, Stubbs concluded the statement by saying, “Girls be more like Coco Gauff,” and praised the 20-year-old for her classy behavior, calling it “an epitome of do things right.”

For context. The Wuhan Open was overshadowed by controversy after Magda Linette’s victory over Liudmila Samsonova. Despite a comfortable 6-2, 6-2 win, Linette faced criticism from the crowd due to a previous social media post. The World No. 45 player, Linette, posted a photo, with a strange caption that read, “The virus database has been updated,” upon arriving in Wuhan, the city where the COVID-19 pandemic originated. This insensitive remark sparked backlash from the local audience.

However, after her victory, Linette tried to apologize during an on-court interview, saying, “I know I offended some of you guys …” But the interviewer cut her short and instead asked her to talk about her performance. Despite Linette showing her gratitude towards fans for being “so nice” to her, the outrage among fans did not dim down.

Similarly, Badosa’s coach, Pol Toledo, posted the player’s photo on Instagram with chopsticks on her eyes’ corners while eating in a restaurant in Beijing during her China Open event (last week). After the media outlets reported about that photo, the semifinalist of that event faced intense criticism online. Ultimately, the Spaniard apologized for her actions on (on X) October 8th! 

“Hey guys! Really sorry, didn’t know this was offensive towards racism. My mistake. I take full responsibility. These mistakes will make me learn for next time. Hope you understand,” said the World No. 15, who pulled out of the Wuhan Open due to her gastrointestinal illness (a few hours before her matchup with Ajla Tomljanović). Moreover, Badosa also urged her fans to not “get it [her actions] that [wrong] way” in another statement!

“I was playing around with my face and wrinkles,” says Paula Badosa after facing backlash on social media! 

Before her statement on X, Paula Badosa also commented on the initial post on Instagram, insisting that it was not her intention to mock anyone through her actions. The 26-year-old player wrote, “Oh no, please don’t get it that way. Never thought it would get interpreted this way; we weren’t even imitating Asian people. I was playing around with my face and wrinkles.”

Paula Badosa, who fell short to Coco Gauff in the China Open by 6-4, 4-6, 2-6 and came to Beijing after a QF round exit in New York, further stated, “I love Asia one one of my favorite people and have plenty of Asian friends. They are the kindest.”

Moreover, the photo has since been deleted by Paula Badosa’s physical trainer. But the rest of the photos where Badosa is enjoying her time in Beijing, making faces, doing shoots, on-court practices, and visiting places are still there in the post. However, now that she withdrew from the tournament amid the criticism, a lucky loser, the Italian player, Lucia Bronzetti, will replace her in the match.

Nevertheless, much like Stubbs, and Wastcoat, fans are not happy with both players’ mocking their host country on social media!