Paula Badosa has been strongly condemned by many fans after her coach shared a since-deleted photo of the Spaniard appearing to mock Asian people.
Badosa endured a hectic time in Beijing at the China Open, featuring a combination of good results, a brutal semifinal defeat, heated criticism from a doubles player, and now accusations of racism.
She continued her strong form from the North American hardcourt season in Beijing, defeating Jessica Pegula on her way to the semifinal of the penultimate WTA 1000 tournament of the season.
Badosa came so close to progressing to the final, having chances to go up by a set and a double break against the eventual champion Coco Gauff, but the American roared back to win 4-6, 6-4, 6-2.
That defeat led Badosa to pen an emotional message for her fans to read. At that point, she had widespread support among her fans after opening up about her feelings after that tough loss.
However, Badosa and the China Open runner-up Karolina Muchova were subjected to criticism after the pair withdrew from the doubles draw after winning their first match. It was the fourth time Badosa had done that in a doubles draw this year.
Irina Khromacheva, one of the players beaten by Badosa and Muchova in the opening round, slammed the pair and accused them of having no respect for doubles players. She also criticized the WTA for repeatedly allowing similar situations to occur.
Badosa responded to that scathing attack with a brief social media comment, saying people comment on things they do not understand and indicating that their withdrawal was due to an injury worry for Muchova.
Some fans had opinions about the Spaniard's doubles withdrawal, but most were more interested in what she achieved in singles in Beijing. The latest controversy surrounding the 26-year-old has attracted wider condemnation.
Badosa's coach, Pol Toledo Balague, shared a series of photos on social media summarizing their time in Beijing together. Most of the pictures were harmless, but one of them was deeply problematic.
As seen in the picture below (the picture on Balague's Instagram profile has since been deleted), Badosa appears to mock Asian people by posing with a pair of chopsticks near her eyes in a restaurant in Beijing.
Fans quickly responded to the picture, saying Badosa's gesture was offensive to Asian people. They questioned why she would make such a gesture and why Balague decided to share the image.
Badosa did not plan to get embroiled in such controversy after a grueling tournament in Beijing. Whether she and her coach knew what they were doing was wrong or not, it was undoubtedly insensitive and unwise on both their parts.
Playing another tournament in China at the Wuhan Open might be awkward for Badosa after the controversy. Chinese fans provide excellent support during matches, but some may be unhappy with the picture.
This incident reminds players to think carefully before taking and then sharing images on social media. Badosa got herself into an uncomfortable situation but it was entirely of her and her coach's making.
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