Do you remember the controversial case of the Chinese tennis player, Peng Shuai? The former player denounced that she was the victim of sexual abuse by Zhang Gaoli, former vice-premier of the country, and days later her whereabouts were unknown, to later deny the accusations, for which the WTA decided to ban this country from its tournaments.
This determination was made in December 2021, for which reason there were no WTA tennis tournaments held throughout 2022, in protest of the case of Peng Shuai and to force China to change human rights aspects of the current regime.
WTA throws in the towel with China
However, somehow the WTA has thrown in the towel and announced the end of the boycott of China, arguing that could not bring about any change in that country, and will hold tournaments in this country again from September 2023.
Through a statement, the WTA stated that the fact of continuing with the boycott could cause its players to pay “an extraordinary price for their sacrifices”, and this would have to do with the economic aspect, since China is a major source of revenue from broadcast rights and sponsorship.
“After 16 months with the competitions suspended in China and continuous efforts to achieve our original goals, the situation has not shown signs of having changed. We have concluded that we will never absolutely securely guarantee our objectives, and that it will be our players and tournaments that will ultimately pay an extraordinary price for their sacrifices…
“For this reason, the WTA lifts its suspension on holding tournaments in the People’s Republic of China and will resume its tournaments in China this September.”, states the statement.
The WTA guaranteed safety for its players in Chinese territory during the celebration of the tournaments, and in the first instance it is said that between seven and eight tournaments can be held in China between the months of September and October.
What happened to Peng Shuai?
Desde la denuncia de Peng Shuai, the WTA has tried to meet with the former Chinese player, but after 16 months it has failed in that attempt. Shuai, however, has made an appearance at other events, such as the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics.
Although WTA has not been able to get close to the former player, it has indicated that Peng Shuai is well and is with his family.. For now, WTA has succumbed in its fight. Which players will be encouraged to participate in the tournaments in China?
