The Women’s Tennis Association is prepared to pull its tournaments out of China if there isn’t an adequate response to Peng Shuai’s allegation that she was sexually assaulted by China’s former vice premier, chief executive Steve Simon has told US media.

Peng, Chinese tennis star and former doubles world No.1, has not been seen in public since she accused the former high-ranking official, Zhang Gaoli, of sexual assault in a Weibo post that was deleted half an hour later. In the lengthy 2 November post, Peng alleged that Zhang had forced her into sex after inviting her to his house to play tennis with him and his wife three years ago. She also said she and Zhang had previously had an on-off consensual relationship.

Peng also said in the post that she could provide no evidence to back her allegations, but was determined to speak out.

Neither Zhang or the Chinese government have commented on Peng’s allegation and discussion of the topic has been blocked on China’s heavily censored internet.

Concern among the global tennis community and beyond has grown over Peng’s safety and whereabouts since her allegation, with the WTA calling for an investigation and the world’s top players tweeting #WhereIsPengShuai.

On Thursday Simon went further, telling US media the WTA, which has ten events scheduled in China for 2022 worth tens of millions of dollars, was willing to pull them.

“We are at a crossroads with our relationship with China and operating our business over there,” Simon told CNN in an interview.

“We’re definitely willing to pull our business and deal with all the complications that come with it because this is certainly, this is bigger than the business.

Simon said the WTA must demand justice and could not compromise. “Women need to be respected and not censored,” he said.

His comments were welcomed by current and former tennis players, including Billie Jean King.

Simon has said the WTA hasn’t been able to speak to Peng and he was very concerned for her. The threat to pull out of China followed the release of what Chinese state media claimed was an email from Peng to Simon saying everything was fine. Simon said the claim – which was accompanied by a screenshot of text – only made him more worried and he doubted it came from Peng.

China has been the focus of aggressive WTA expansion over the last decade and hosted nine tournaments in the 2019 season - the last before the disruption caused by the Covid-19 pandemic - with a total $30.4m prize money on offer.

But it is also under increasing pressure over a number of human rights issues, and there are growing calls for a boycott of the upcoming Beijing Winter Olympic Games. The WTA’s stance over Peng, should it follow through, goes considerably further than many sporting organisations which have struggled to balance calls from fans and players to stand up against human rights abuses with their reliance on the Chinese market.

Women’s tennis greats Serena Williams and Billie Jean King on Thursday added their voices to the growing chorus of tennis players and other sporting figures calling for an independent investigation.

“This must be investigated and we must not stay silent,” American Williams wrote on social media. “Sending love to her and her family during this incredibly difficult time.“

The Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA), a new body representing players set up by men’s world number one Novak Djokovic and Vasek Pospisil, said players must be prepared to take action if Peng’s safety cannot be confirmed.

“The PTPA is advocating for independent evidence confirming the safety and location of WTA player, Peng Shuai,” the body said in statement.

“We must unite and be willing to take action unless corroborated evidence is provided to the world about Peng’s wellbeing.”

—by Helen Davidson and agencies in The Guardian, Nov 19, 2021
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/nov/19/peng-shuai-wta-prepared-to-pull-out-of-china-over-tennis-stars-disappearance