"The Chinese are manipulating the world with video" - Hungarian Open organizers profess innocence as Zhang Shuai exits tournament in tears

Chinese veteran Zhang Shuai retired mid-match at the Hungarian Grand Prix as a disputed line call coupled with a hostile crowd caused her to have a panic attack. Following the controversial incident, the tournament organizers have formally affirmed her opponent and local wildcard Amarissa Kiara Toth's innocence.

Hours after the match, the Hungarian Grand Prix released a statement defending Toth's stance amid Zhang's retirement. In a Facebook post on the official tournament account, the authorities formally stated that the linesman and the chair umpire drove the decision behind the disputed call and not Amarissa Toth. Furthermore, they claimed the wildcard's actions did not compromise her integrity.

"Amarissa did not decide if the ball was good or not. It was the decision of the linesman and then the chair umpire. The Hungarian tennis player first WTA main draw match of her life may not have behaved in every situation, but she did nothing that could be described as a lack of integrity," the statement read.

The authorities also claimed there was no misunderstanding and that the controversial incident was merely an act of the Chinese people attempting to mislead the audience with a "manipulative video."

"And there is no deflection, no misunderstanding. The Chinese are manipulating the world with manipulative video," the statement continued.

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Zhang Shuai posts a note of appreciation for all her supporters

Zhang Shuai at the 2023 Australian Open

Hours after the episode, Zhang Shuai took to Twitter to address the disputed line call. She also appreciated her fans and colleagues for defending her throughout the incident.

The former World No. 22 maintained her stance on the controversial call and asserted that the ball was in, before thanking her fans for their support.

"All efforts on practice was wrong , because when you wanted hitting closer to the line , even touched the line still OUT ….. I love you guys and all girls who supporting me and standing my side," Zhang said.

"A lot of players /fans such warm messages , love you guys and really appreciated again. Move forward stay strong," she added.

Screenshot from Zhang Shuai's Twitter account