Should Zhang Shuai be more true than this?

Chinese tennis star Zhang Shuai was suspected of being unfairly awarded at the WTA250 Budapest Station as the case continued to ferment, and after the WTA officially issued a statement that it would follow up the investigation, Hungarian native Tóth, who advanced due to Zhang Shuai's withdrawal, also apologized. The public is still awaiting the results of the WTA's investigation, and the vast majority of players and fans have expressed their support for Zhang Shuai, believing that she has firmly defended the sportsmanship of fair play.

In the first round of WTA250 Budapest, China's Zhang Shuai decided to withdraw when she trailed 5-6 in the first set, but the actions of her opponent, Hungarian wild card player Tóth, angered the entire world tennis world. In this match, the referee misjudged an obvious crimping ball as out of bounds, and repeatedly ignored Zhang Shuai's request to see the ball print. What is even more surprising is that Toth also defiantly wiped off the ball print with his foot, and raised his fist in celebration after Zhang Shuai withdrew in tears. Toth became the focus of tennis overnight, overshadowing even the newly Wimbledon winner of the Czech Republic's Vanzosova, whose performance was considered "a new low in sportsmanship".

In the face of faux pas and dishonest behavior, as well as boos from the scene, Zhang Shuai also shook hands with the referee and the other party when he withdrew from the match. Some people think that Zhang Shuai, who has suffered 12 consecutive singles defeats before the match, is too pressured, too calculating and too pretentious, but as Zhang Shuai himself said, "You can only endure being bullied, you can't bear to say that you are not cultivated, you are angry and say that you are playing big names, I want to ask the folk masters, teach me whether to be angry or not angry when I encounter this situation?" Grand Slam winner Victoria Azarenka said: "Such unsportsmanlike behaviour is simply shocking. Serena Williams, a 23-time women's singles Grand Slam winner, also said that he stood with Zhang Shuai and, like most other tennis players, expressed his recognition of Zhang Shuai's ball. Yes, the obvious miscalculation affected Zhang Shuai's mentality, and Toth wiped the ball two points later, which is not illegal in itself, but it is disgusting.

Professional tennis matches often involve controversial penalties, and misjudgments and missed judgments by referees can easily affect the credibility of the sport. At the same time, the charm of the game, in addition to the superb performance of the players, but also the demeanor and warmth outside of competition. No matter how high the technology is, if you lose sportsmanship, you will destroy all the beauty of competitive sports. In this regard, the newly retired tennis king Federer is definitely a super idol with both ability and integrity.

There are also many voices that believe that the clay-court competition should introduce "Hawkeye". Looking at the ball print without looking at the eagle eye is the tradition of clay games, but the absence of eagle eyes in clay games will always be a major problem. After this controversy, calls for the introduction of electronic lines for clay games will continue to rise. Many tennis celebrities have suffered similar problems, and while technically flawed, they can at least do one thing – be fair to everyone. The ATP has previously announced that from 2025, it will fully use electronic lines in tours, including clay, will the WTA follow suit?

Chengdu Daily Jinguan News Reporter Huang Yike Photo Xinhua News Agency Responsible Editor He Qitie Editor Liu Yonghao