Sharp Commentary on Sun Fajing’s Wild Card Incident: Is It Driven by China Open’s Interests or Is the Chinese Tennis Association Betraying Him?

A promise turned into an illusion. After Chinese tennis player Sun Fajing gave up his originally registered tour events to represent the country, the wild card for the China Open qualifiers he was promised was suddenly revoked before the tournament started, replaced instead by Hong Kong player Wong Chak-lam.

On the afternoon of September 20, the wild card list for the 2025 China Open qualifiers was officially released. On the men’s side, three wild cards went to Hong Kong’s Wong Chak-lam, mainland China’s Wu Yibing, and Zhou Yi, while Sun Fajing, who was originally promised a wild card, unexpectedly missed out.

The incident originated from a promise made before Sun Fajing represented the national team in the Davis Cup. According to several prominent tennis social media figures, relevant authorities had explicitly guaranteed wild cards for Sun Fajing at the Chengdu Open main draw and the China Open qualifiers as compensation for his participation in the Davis Cup.

Sun Fajing fulfilled his commitment by giving up challenger events to compete for the national team in the Davis Cup. However, the promises regarding the Chengdu Open and wild card qualifications were not fully honored. Initially, he was not given a wild card for the Hangzhou Open; it was only after a US wild card player qualified by ranking that the wild card was assigned to Sun Fajing.

After Sun Fajing’s wild card was canceled, it was given to Wong Chak-lam, a player from Hong Kong making his China Open debut. This season, Wong has performed impressively, winning five consecutive matches from the qualifiers at the US Open, becoming the first Hong Kong player to reach the men’s singles round of 32 at a Grand Slam. Additionally, he reached the third round of the Miami Masters, also making history for Hong Kong tennis.

Public opinion on Sun Fajing’s situation is sharply divided.

Some netizens reacted strongly, condemning the Chinese Tennis Association for breaking its promise. Others argued that the Association and the China Open are separate entities; the China Open must also comply with ATP regulations, so wild card decisions involve multiple parties and cannot be decided solely by the Association.

“The China Open and the Tennis Association aren’t the same organization. I heard the Association promised Sun Fajing a wild card for representing the country in the Davis Cup, but the wild card ended up going to Wong Chak-lam, Hong Kong’s rising star. Based on results and rankings, Wong definitely has an edge for the wild card, and they probably want to accommodate Hong Kong and Macau players. The real issue is the Association’s promise, yet many blame the China Open!”

However, isn’t it even more infuriating to make uncertain promises in advance that ultimately fall through? Who would be willing to give their all for the country in the future? After all, the Chinese men’s basketball team serves as a cautionary example. If players are deceived with “empty promises” every time, what future does Chinese tennis really have? No wonder some netizens believe this is the highest form of “using and discarding” by the Chinese Tennis Association.

Some also speculated, “Maybe they want to save the wild card for next year’s Hong Kong Open.” Another quickly replied, “Those are separate tournaments. Also, the China Open is different from the US Open, which is under the US Tennis Association!” The implication is that the China Open and the Chinese Tennis Association are not identical; the China Open resembles a foreign tennis organization operating in China, managed by multiple parties. Therefore, swapping wild cards like this isn’t justified because the system doesn’t support it.

Additionally, some netizens admitted, “Situations like Sun Fajing’s wild card aren’t rare. The Tennis Management Center has issued regulations, but not all domestic tournaments follow them. For example, the China Open calls the shots. You can also simply interpret it as ‘all about interests.’”

The underlying meaning from netizens is that Wong Chak-lam’s popularity and commercial value clearly surpass Sun Fajing’s, making Sun a casualty of business interests. But on the other hand, Sun Fajing represented the country in the Davis Cup, enduring travel fatigue and lack of time to adjust, which affected his performance in Hangzhou. As a result, his wild card was revoked? The China Open’s wild card allocation lacks transparency and fairness; a more open and transparent system should be established to ensure players who contribute to the country receive their deserved rewards.

In summary, wild cards in tennis are meant to encourage players and balance commercial interests with sport development. But when they become tools of broken promises, they hurt not only the players’ spirits but also the foundation of healthy tennis growth in China. Wong Chak-lam has indeed performed well this season, but Sun Fajing’s exclusion is not due to ability, but rather broken promises and opaque rules.

Chinese tennis needs more than just star players and major tournaments; it requires a transparent, fair, and just selection system that respects and rewards every player who represents the country.(Source: Tennis Home, Author: Lu Xiaotian)