The Australian Open 2022 saw the t-shirts involving Peng Shuai being banned. However, following a fan backlash, the same has been restored.
The 2022 Australian Open saw a trend of fans supporting Chinese tennis player Pen Shuai. Some of them entered the venues wearing t-shirts involving her, while some of the shirts read 'Where is Peng Shuai?' However, the organisers banned the shirts, leading to a fan backlash and outcry over their support.
Following the same, the organisers have now revoked the ban. Shuai became a matter of world interest and a hot topic in tennis after she had alleged on social media that she had been sexually abused before her post was taken down. Notably, her whereabouts were unknown, as the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) and the entire tennis community stood by her while WTA suspended its tennis tournament in China.
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Although she reappeared later and seemed to be safe, fans are still concerned regarding her well-being. Explaining the decision to ban Shuai t-shirts, Craig Tiley (Tennis Australia CEO) said that it did it to maintain peace and harmony at the event so that it did not disrupt the safety of the spectators.
"If someone wants to wear a T-shirt and make a statement about Peng Shuai, that's fine," Tiley was quoted as saying by Sydney Morning Herald. He further clarified that TA had a long-standing policy of not entertaining shirts or banners of commercial or political grounds. "The policy will continue to be applied to any items that compromise the safety and comfort of Australian Open fans," he added.
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The decision to ban the shirts were met with severe criticisms, with many suggesting that the AO organisers were succumbing to pressure from Chinese sponsors. Peter Dutton (Australian Defence Minister) was also unhappy with the ban. Following the incident, the Gofundme page promised to print more such shirts after acquiring its goal of AUD 10,000.