A huge controversy happened at the WTA event in Budapest which caused Shuai Zhang to retire from her match with a panic attack.
The Chinese player has been having a very tough time on the Tour recently after being unable to return to China for the past three years following a dispute with the Chinese Tennis Federation. The long-standing veteran is one of the most respected players on Tour which is why the community rallied around her following the 2023 Budapest Open incident.
She was facing a native player, Kiara Toth, who, in the words of many, behaved in a disrespectful manner towards a seasoned pro who is well-liked on the Tour. The fallout essentially saw Zhang retire from the match after experiencing a panic attack.
Her opponent was spotted celebrating the 'win' after which disgusted many pro's around the court who were quite vocal in their dislike for what transpired. Maria Sakkari for example called for the ban of Toth, while several others expressed huge disappointment with the whole situation and behaviour.
Toth herself has remained silent for much of it but briefly commented on the situation on Hungarian radio station Radio Kossuth. Her words didn't go down well with many fans as she basically blamed Zhang for escalating the situation by wanting to overrule the umpire.
“I didn’t understand why she made such a fuss out of it, that she wanted to overrule the judge’s decision. I don’t understand why she didn’t accept it, but she made trouble for herself,”
Very few winners in the situation, even though Toth might secure a 3rd round if she beats Kateryna Baindl. Most of the tennis community will be hoping for a win from Baindl,n and the Ukrainian is heavily favoured in the second-round match against the Hungarian.