At the 2025 edition of Mérida, Spanish tennis player Paula Badosa sparked controversy again with her winning move after defeating her opponent Christian. While the victory was supposed to be the highlight of her career, the spotlight turned to her consistently controversial rhetoric. From the racist storm of "chopsticks pulling the corners of the eyes" to the arrogant remarks of being accused of "belittling opponents" many times, Badosa's image has gradually stripped away from the aura of "New Sava", revealing his complex personality of being friendly on the surface but hurtful behind the scenes. In this article, the editor will analyze the deep logic behind her behavior by combing through a series of controversial events.

In the women's singles final of the 2024 Australian Open, Chinese player Zheng Qinwen lost to Sabalenka and was the runner-up. As a close friend of Sabalenka, Badosa posted "too easy" on social media, which was interpreted as a mockery of Zheng Qinwen. Although she later argued that it was just a celebration of her friend's victory, Chinese fans didn't buy it and labeled her "Sister Easy." The incident not only exposed her lack of respect for her competitors, but also hinted at putting her personal emotions above professional sportsmanship.

In October 2024, Bardosa's coach Toledo posted a photo on social media of her pulling chopsticks at the corner of her eye at a Chinese restaurant. The move was widely interpreted as a parody of the Asian stereotype of "squinting" and quickly sparked outrage among Chinese netizens as a typical manifestation of racism. Although Badosa immediately apologized that he was "just playing with facial wrinkles" and stressed that he "loves Asia", his explanation was accused of being unconvincing. What's worse is that after the incident fermented, she not only deleted the apology statement, but also quarreled with netizens and turned off the comment function of her social account, which was criticized as a crisis public relations of "closing her eyes and listening". This series of operations exposes her contempt for cultural respect and disregard for public sentiment.

Badosa's controversial behavior seems isolated, but in fact it presents a contradictory personality: warm and friendly on the surface, but in fact lacking empathy and responsibility. This "green tea" pattern of behavior is reflected in the following aspects: in the "chopsticks incident", Badosa posted a photo with a panda doll and pasted the Chinese flag symbol as a gesture of goodwill, but at the same time refused to deeply reflect on the root cause of the controversy, and even deleted the apology, this "emergency public relations" was caricatured by netizens as "embroidering red flags overnight", highlighting his utilitarian friendly gesture. Similarly, in her Wuhan Open withdrawal statement, she emphasized "respect for multiculturalism" without making a substantive review of specific behaviors, which is an inconsistent expression of words and deeds, essentially turning cultural respect into a public relations tool. Badosa's "too easy" rhetoric and suspected scramble for resources reflect her tendency to conflate personal networking with professional competition. Her public support for her friend Sabalenka is understandable, but expressing her support in a way that belittles her opponent exposes her mentality of "fan-ringing" competitive sports, which is the double-standard logic of "friendship in the circle and suppression outside the circle", which is the core feature of the "green tea" character. In the face of public criticism, Badosa's typical reaction is "apologize-justify-delete-avoid". For example, in the "Chopsticks Incident", she repeatedly emphasized "no malice", but did not admit the offensiveness of the action itself; The subsequent withdrawal from the Wuhan Open was also questioned as a crisis response strategy of "retreating to advance". This evasive posture further deepened the public's perception of her "hypocrisy".

Bardosa's words and deeds are not only a flaw in his personal character, but also reflect the complexity of the cultural responsibility of athletes in the era of globalization. As a public figure who frequently participates in international competitions, the controversy in Badosa highlights the importance of cross-cultural sensitivity. Whether it is the symbolic meaning of "squinting eyes" or "chopsticks", it needs to be based on the in-depth study of other cultures. Her mistake serves as a reminder to athletes that cultural respect cannot be limited to words, but must be translated into concrete actions. The case of Badosa reveals the double-edged sword effect of social media on the image of athletes. Coach Toledo's casual posting of controversial photos exposed the team's negligence in content moderation. In today's instant dissemination of information, athletes must be aware that every photo and sentence can be interpreted under a magnifying glass. Badosa was once hailed as the "new Sava," but Sharapova's career has proven that superstar charisma goes hand in hand with a sense of public responsibility. If Badosa is unable to break free from "self-centered" behavioural patterns, his career may be limited by a shrinking public trust.

Badosa's controversial behavior was not accidental, but the result of a combination of his character flaws and his professional environment. From the "Chopsticks Incident" to the controversy over the winning action of the Mérida, her image crisis reminds us that in the arena of competitive sports, technical prowess and moral cultivation are indispensable. If she still uses "unintentional mistakes" as an excuse to avoid reflection, her career may fall into the dilemma of "winning games and losing hearts". For the audience, this event also prompted us to think: is the sports star we expect to be a "competitive machine" who only needs to win, or a "role model" with both strength and virtue? The answer is clearly leaning towards the latter.(Source: Tennis Home Author: Xiaodi)