Peng Shuai: Women's tennis to return to China in 2023 as boycott ends
Peng Shuai alleged in a social media post in November 2021 that former vice premier Zhang Gaoli forced her to have sex; WTA chairman and CEO Steve Simon says they have "received assurances from people who are close to her that [Peng] is safe and living with her family in Beijing"
Friday 14 April 2023 09:51, UK
The women's professional tennis tour will bring events back to China later this year, ending a boycott instituted in late 2021 over concerns about the safety of former player Peng Shuai after she accused a high-ranking government official of sexual assault.
There have been no reports of Peng sightings in public since carefully orchestrated appearances during the Beijing-hosted Winter Olympics in February 2022.
However, Women's Tennis Association chairman and CEO Steve Simon said they have "received assurances from people who are close to her that she is safe and living with her family in Beijing".
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Simon added that while assurances he sought were never delivered - a chance for someone from the tour to meet with Peng, along with a full and transparent investigation into her accusations - the decision was made, with input from player and tournament representatives, for the tour to return to China.
"The stance that we took at the time was appropriate. And we stand by that," Simon told The Associated Press. "But 16 months into this, we're convinced that our requests will not be met. And to continue with the same strategy doesn't make sense.
"We needed to look at a different approach. With this, our members believe it's time to resume the mission in China, where we believe we can continue to make a positive difference, as we have for the last 20 years, while at the same time make sure that Peng is not forgotten. By returning, hopefully more progress can be made."
Simon also said the WTA has been assured by the Chinese Tennis Association, the sport's national governing body, that "there won't be any issues with our athletes or our staff while they're competing within the region," adding: "The great majority of the athletes were supportive and wanted to see a return."
The tour's finalised schedule in China should be revealed in the coming weeks.
It is set to begin in September and include the season-ending WTA Finals in Shenzhen and other stops similar to what played out in 2019, before the coronavirus pandemic led to a series of cancellations.
Former British player Anne Keothavong, now captain of her nation's Billie Jean King Cup team, said: "From a tennis perspective, hopefully it'll be a welcome return.
"I don't know whether they've been able to investigate in the way they would have liked, but tennis is a business. The WTA need to generate commercial revenue and the players need a circuit to compete."
Current British No 5 Katie Boulter added: "I think ultimately there's two things. One is that we hope Peng is OK and secondly it's just an excitement to have tournaments on the calendar. Sometimes we don't have enough tournaments and I hope we can get out there and enjoy it."
The now 37-year-old Peng won doubles trophies at Wimbledon in 2013 and the French Open in 2014, the same year she reached No 1 in the world in doubles. In singles, she was a US Open semi-finalist in 2014, and was ranked as high as No 14.
The well-being of Peng became a matter of concern in November 2021 after she appeared to allege on social media that a former Chinese vice premier, Zhang Gaoli, had sexually assaulted her in the past. The post was removed from the country's internet and Peng later denied having made the accusation.
The following month, Simon - with the backing of the WTA board of directors, players, tournaments and sponsors - said the tour would suspend play in China. That was the strongest public stand against China by a sports body and cost the WTA millions of dollars in revenue.
Back when he first delivered the news of a WTA boycott of China, Simon told AP: "The one thing that we can't do is walk away from this, because if we're walking away from the key elements - which is obviously not only her well-being, but the investigation - then we're telling the world that not addressing sexual assault with respect to the seriousness it requires is okay, because it's too difficult. And it's simply something that we can't let happen."
Asked whether Thursday's move could be construed as backing down from that position, Simon replied: "I can understand how someone might look at it that way. But we took a stand that no one else has."
