WTA will not return to China in 2022 as resolution to Peng Shuai case sought

The WTA is still working to find a resolution to the standoff with China over the Peng Shuai issue but will not return to the country this year, Tour chief Steve Simon said.

The former doubles world No 1’s wellbeing became a concern for the WTA after she posted a message on social media last November apparently accusing China’s former vice-premier Zhang Gaoli of of coercing her into sex in the past. Peng later said her post had been misunderstood.

The post was subsequently removed and Peng disappeared from public view for three weeks. The following month, the WTA suspended all of its tournaments in China, a decision expected to cost the elite women’s tour hundreds of millions of dollars in broadcasting and sponsorship.

“We remain dedicated to finding a resolution to this,” Simon told The Tennis Podcast. “We want to find a resolution that Peng can be comfortable with, the Chinese government can be comfortable with, and we can be comfortable with. We are not about walking away from China. We have suspended our operations there right now. We will continue to do that until we get to a resolution.

“We will stay resolute. We do hope to be back there in 2023 with the resolution that shows progress was made in the space. That’s a victory for the world if we can accomplish that.”

Peng, who had already effectively retired from professional tennis, made an appearance at the Winter Olympics in Beijing in February and denied she had accused anyone of sexual assault, saying her post had been misunderstood. She added that she herself had deleted the social media post and denied that she had “disappeared”. The WTA, however, stuck to its demand for a formal investigation into Peng’s allegations and an opportunity to meet with her