Magda Linette (ranked 45th in the WTA) started her campaign at the WTA 1000 tournament in Wuhan on a high note. In the first round, the Polish tennis player won 6-2, 6-2 against Ludmilla Samsonova (ranked 23rd in the WTA). Linette had previously played in the WTA 1000 tournament in Beijing, where she was eliminated in the fourth round.
Magda Linette Wanted to Apologize for a Controversial Post. The Host Took the Microphone Away
While traveling from Beijing to Wuhan, Magda Linette posted a picture on social media with the caption, "The virus database has been updated". Known for her dark humor, the tennis player was making a reference both to Wuhan, where the COVID-19 pandemic originated, and to a popular phrase from an antivirus software program.
However, her joke did not sit well with Chinese fans, who called on the WTA to take action following Linette's post, which was eventually deleted.
The Chinese audience didn’t forget about Linette’s post during the Wuhan tournament. This led to chants of "apologize" directed at the Polish tennis player during her post-match interview after beating Samsonova.
"I know I offended some of you, so I really want to apologize" - Linette said at the start of her statement. However, she was unable to finish.
"Talk about your performance, okay?" - the interview host immediately interrupted, taking the microphone away from Linette.
"Thank you for being so kind to me. Thank you" - Linette managed to say before the bizarre interview came to an end.
Will this resolve the issue? The answer may come during Linette’s next match, as she faces either Lesia Tsurenko (ranked 96th in the WTA) or Katie Boulter (ranked 34th in the WTA) in the second round of the WTA 1000 tournament in Wuhan.
