Tennis has evolved, the game has changed, and yet one unwanted opponent keeps showing up: body shaming. Serena Williams, Jelena Ostapenko and Taylor Townsend are among the stars who have had to deal with cruel comments about their persona, and now the 25-year-old WTA pro Liang En-shuo has been handed the same ugly treatment.
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The 25-year-old Taiwanese was enjoying a strong battle at the Monterrey Open, pushing rising Czech star Nikola Bartunkova. But instead of her tennis getting all the attention, En-shuo found herself in the spotlight for something far less relevant: her appearance.
“Do you even need to be fit to compete on the WTA Tour?” said a user on X. “This girl is currently beating Nikola Bartunkova at a WTA 500. Make your daughters play tennis!”
The overall demeaning tone of the online user drew harsh criticism, with several fans coming to Shuo’s defense, who was a former World No. 2 in junior tennis. In fact, just three weeks ago, Jelena Ostapenko found herself dealing with the same ugly side of tennis. After retiring from her second-round match against China’s Zhang Shuai at the Canadian Open, the Latvian was hit with body-shaming remarks and even threatening comments online.
She later addressed the abuse on Instagram, writing, “This is what professional athletes have to face after almost each loss.”
Even tennis icons like Serena Williams and Taylor Townsend have felt the sting of body-shaming during their careers. Townsend, for instance, had a public clash with the USTA after her weight was cited in a dispute over travel expenses. Williams, meanwhile, has faced years of commentary targeting her muscular build and weight, despite being a 23-time Grand Slam champion.
However, fans on social media were critical of bodyshaming comments directed at Shuo.
Fans Defend WTA Pro Against Bodyshaming Comments
Fans were quick to defend Shuo against the bodyshaming comments, with one fan pointing out the need for a muscular physique in women’s tennis, as power-based game styles are prevalent on the WTA. “Strength is a factor in the women’s game, you can have more muscles, more weight, or be taller,” said a fan on X.
Another user was critical of the bodyshaming comment, defending Shuo, saying, “And who told you shes not fit because shes built like that?”
Interestingly, regardless of her looks, Shuo has had a productive year on the Tour in 2026, winning a Challenger title in Jiujiang. However, it is on the doubles court that the Taiwanese player has had success this year, reaching three finals. She had her best Tour-level result at the Libema Open, winning the doubles title with Shuko Ayoyama. She could not cross the finish line against Bartunkova in Monterrey, but showed promising signs for improved results in the upcoming Asian swing.
One fan drew a parallel with the comments Aryna Sabalenka received for her new-look outfit during the mixed doubles competition at the US Open.
“First of all, it is a photo. Yesterday Sabalenka was being shamed because she looked odd in the new outfit, or the new outfit was odd. How about focusing on your body instead?” they said.
A user called out the user who posted the bodyshaming comment for their lack of tennis knowledge. Shuo was very successful in her junior days, winning the 2018 Australian Open girls’ title, and has achieved a career-best doubles ranking of 24 this year. “You don’t even know who she is and you call yourself tennis king more like tennis clown,” they posted.