WTA Announces Immediate Suspension of Tournaments in China over Peng Shuai Situation

The Women’s Tennis Association has announced the immediate suspension of all tournaments in China amid concern for Chinese tennis player Peng Shuai.

Peng disappeared from public view for three weeks after accusing a top Chinese official of sexual assault.

Peng was not seen in public for three weeks after she accused former Vice-Premier Zhang Gaoli of sexual assault.

She said she was “safe and well” during a video call with Thomas Bach, the president of the International Olympic Council, in November.

However, the WTA said the video was “insufficient evidence” of Peng’s safety.

In a lengthy statement, Simon said he was “greatly concerned” about the risks players and staff could face if events were held in China in 2022.

There have been no WTA events in China for the past two years because of the coronavirus pandemic.

However, the governing body has heavily relied on Chinese investment in its tour in recent years, leading to a number of lucrative tournaments being held in the country.

China hosted nine tournaments in the 2019 season, including the season-ending WTA Finals, with a total of $30.4m (£22.6m) in prize money.

Peng, a former world number one in doubles, wrote on Chinese social media site Weibo that she was forced into a sexual relationship with Zhang.

The post was taken down minutes later and Peng was not seen in public for some time.

A number of tennis players and athletes used the hashtag #WhereisPengShuai on Twitter to draw attention to the issue.