The WTA Tour returns to China. As the players’ organization announced on Thursday, tennis tournaments of the highest category will be held there again from September, which had been suspended in the wake of the Peng Shuai case.
The former world number one in doubles disappeared for several weeks after publicly accusing a senior Chinese politician of sexual abuse. The WTA boycotted the country and called for clarification – apparently without the desired success.
“When Chinese tennis player Peng Shuai bravely spoke out in 2021, the WTA took a stand and suspended events in China out of concern for her safety and the safety of our players,” the WTA statement said . However, despite the 16-month suspension of the competitions and “continued efforts to meet our original demands”, “no signs of change” are visible.
“We have come to the conclusion that we will never fully achieve these goals,” said the WTA. Ultimately, it is the players and tournaments who “will pay an extraordinary price for their sacrifices”. For these reasons, the game operation is resumed. Peng had expressed her allegations on the social network Weibo, but later deleted her entry. The case had caused a stir beyond the sports world.
The organization confirmed contact with people who are “close to Peng” and that they are “sure that she lives safely with her family in Beijing.” In addition, the WTA “received the assurance” that its players in China “are safe and secure as long as they are in the country”.