Mysterious move! Sun Fajing’s China Open wildcard canceled, he complains online, netizens react: Serving the country only to be treated like this

The China Open hasn’t started but is already stirring up trouble again. After the ticket price increase and poster controversy this year (refer to the article: “China Open embroiled in controversy before it even begins: Zheng Qinwen missing from poster, ticket price hike causes uproar”), Sun Fajing’s wildcard cancellation has once more placed the tournament in the center of debate.

In the first round of men’s singles at the Hangzhou Open, Chinese player Sun Fajing lost 0-2 to Italian player Giulio Zeppieri. After the match, Sun posted on social media expressing that it seemed he wouldn’t be able to attend the China Open, revealing his obvious disappointment.

At the time, many netizens speculated that Sun Fajing might be preparing to play doubles at the Hangzhou event, thus unable to immediately travel to Beijing for the China Open. However, it was soon confirmed that the wildcard for the China Open qualifying rounds originally promised to him had been revoked.

In response, Sun Fajing jokingly commented on his social media, “Captain, shouldn’t you speak up for me about this?” Although he laughed it off, netizens were not willing to let it go. Rumors quickly targeted the China Open, with many angrily questioning, “A player serving the country denied a wildcard? Is this fair?”

Actually, Sun Fajing had the best draw among the three Chinese players at the Hangzhou Open. Compared to Wu Yibing facing Mannarino in the first round and the battle between Zhang Zhizhen and Bu Yunchaokete, Sun drew a qualifier in the first round. However, world-ranked 236th Sun Fajing (whose ranking rose to 224th after the match) performed poorly against Zeppieri, who frequently took control with high-quality serves, winning 6-3, 6-2 in straight sets. Sun had five break points but failed to convert any, which was a key factor in his defeat.

Behind Sun Fajing’s loss were some sympathetic objective factors. He had just participated in the Davis Cup and traveled back to China from Ireland via Frankfurt.

He had to cope with tight timing and a seven-hour time difference, as well as a drastic temperature change from around ten degrees to over thirty degrees Celsius. The intense heat in Hangzhou posed a huge challenge for the players.

It was precisely this dedication to representing the country that earned Sun Fajing much sympathy from netizens—balancing national duty and personal hardship, he chose to compete despite exhaustion and discomfort, still fighting for his country.

In fact, insiders revealed that before participating in the Davis Cup, relevant authorities had promised Sun Fajing wildcards for the main draw of the Chengdu Open and the China Open qualifying rounds.

However, the Chengdu Open wildcard was never granted. The American wildcard entrant for the Hangzhou Open got in based on ranking at the last minute, leaving the wildcard to Sun Fajing as a substitute.

Now, the China Open qualifying wildcard may also not be honored, meaning Sun Fajing will lose a valuable chance to showcase his skills in front of his hometown fans.

On social media, fans expressed sympathy and anger over Sun Fajing’s situation. Netizens bluntly stated, “Is this how China’s wildcard distribution works? Players who represent the country get treated like this?”

Some commented, “Sun Fajing represented the country in the Davis Cup, traveling tirelessly without time to adjust his jet lag or form, resulting in poor performance at the Hangzhou event, and now his wildcard is canceled? What kind of logic is this?”

Others pointed out, “The China Open wildcard allocation lacks transparency and fairness. There should be a more open and clear system to ensure players who contribute to the country receive proper rewards.”

In fact, wildcard distribution in Chinese tournaments has long been criticized. Although the Chinese Tennis Association released updated wildcard rules in April this year, raising hopes for fairness during the season, the system still became a battleground for provincial teams during the National Games year.

On one hand, it’s nominally stated that national team players get priority for wildcards, but in reality, the national team roster hasn’t been publicly announced for two years. Does that mean players are national team members only when playing for the country, but not afterward? On the other hand, the rules mention exchanging wildcards with foreign tennis associations or tournament organizers, but some netizens question whether these organizations are actually player management companies—so is it an exchange or a trade? Additionally, the concept of “national junior outstanding reserve players and special situation players” is vague. What are the standards for these junior reserves? What age or performance level is required? Overall, there is a call for a transparent and open wildcard allocation process to ensure all players compete fairly under equal conditions.

Currently, Sun Fajing’s name no longer appears on the China Open wildcard list. The wildcard once promised to him now belongs to someone else. As for who will ultimately receive this wildcard remains unknown, but one thing is certain: it is a “hot potato,” and whoever replaces Sun Fajing will inevitably face harsh criticism from netizens!(Source: Tennis Home, Author: Lu Xiaotian)