The WTA made a bold statement on Wednesday as they have suspended all play in China and Hong Kong due to concerns regarding the safety of Chinese women’s star Shuai Peng according to Stephen Knox of Deadspin. The key word at this time is “suspended.” The WTA has not cancelled events in China yet.
The troubling story of Peng began on November 2, when she accused Chinese Communist Party member Gaoli Zhang of sexual assault three years ago. The post was removed from the Internet after 20 minutes.
In an extensive statement, WTA President Steve Simon stated the following:
“Unfortunately, the leadership in China has not addressed this very serious issue in any credible way. While we now know where Peng is, I have serious doubts that she is free, safe and not subject to censorship, coercion and intimidation.”
In 2021, there were to be 11 WTA Events in China, but 10 of them were cancelled due to coronavirus. The Kunming Open in Anning, China, which was set to take place in April was postponed, but dates were never rescheduled. The most notable WTA events cancelled were the China Open in Beijing, the Wuhan Open, and the WTA Finals in Shenzhen. The 2021 WTA Finals were moved from China to Mexico, and was won by Garbine Muguruza of Spain.
The last time a WTA event was in China was in January of 2020, two months before the tennis world was suspended due to coronavirus. Ekaterina Alexandrova of Russia defeated Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan in the final of the Shenzhen Open, 6-2, 6-4.
The fact that the WTA is also suspending action in Hong Kong is interesting. Hong Kong separated from China in 1997. However, according to Peter Aitken of FOX Business, Hong Kong has not had “an acceptable response” to Peng’s concerns either, and as a result the 2022 Hong Kong Open has been suspended too. There has not been a Hong Kong Open since 2018. The 2019 Hong Kong Open was cancelled because of political protests in the region.
Peng has been ranked number one in the world in women’s doubles in the past. She won the 2013 Wimbledon women’s doubles tournament and 2014 French Open women’s doubles tournament with Su-wei Hsieh of Chinese Taipei. At the singles level, Peng reached as high as the semifinals of the 2014 U.S. Open, and has won the 2016 Tianjin Open and 2017 Jiangxi Open.
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