China’s Huang Dongping (left) and Feng Yanzhe compete during the mixed doubles first round match at the Australian Open in Sydney. Photo: Xinhua
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https://scmp.com/sport/tennis/article/3199765/no-wta-tennis-events-planned-china-20223-badminton-world-tour-finals-moved-thailand-because-covid-19 Tennis
No WTA tennis events planned for China in 2023, Badminton World Tour finals moved to Thailand because of Covid-19
- Tennis bosses say issues surrounding Peng Shuai and Covid ‘need to be resolved’
- Season-ending badminton tournament was expected to be held in Guangzhou next month
A year ago, the WTA suspended all tournaments in China because of concerns about the safety of Peng Shuai. Photo: AP
China will no longer host the season-ending Badminton World Tour Finals next month because of Covid-19, while there are doubts over any major tennis tournaments taking place there in 2023.
The Badminton World Federation (BWF) had planned to host the flagship US$1.5 million event in Guangzhou between December 14 and 18, but it will now take place in Bangkok the previous week.
And the shadow of the Peng Shuai situation continues to hang over the future of the WTA’s relationship with the country, with tennis boss Steve Simon saying it was one of the “issues to be resolved” before the game could return.
The WTA Tour has released its schedule for next year through the US Open in September, with no tournaments yet slated for China.
In its announcement of provisional event dates, the women’s tour said that details for the rest of the “remaining section of the calendar would be communicated in due course”.
The season-ending WTA Finals are supposed to be held in Shenzhen, China, through 2030, but were not held at all in 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic, then were moved to Guadalajara, Mexico, in 2021, and to Fort Worth, Texas, this year.
China has cancelled almost all international sports competitions since Covid emerged there in 2019, with the Beijing Winter Olympics in February this year a rare exception.
The BWF said it decided to relocate the tournament following consultation with the Chinese Badminton Association (CBA) “due to the various challenges brought about by the current pandemic situation”.
The World Tour Finals – now to take place in the Thai capital’s Nimibutr Arena from 7 to 11 December – will include the top eight players and pairs in each category for their share of what the BWF called “the biggest prize pool ever seen in badminton”.
The southern city of Guangzhou held the finals in 2018 and 2019.
In an interview with the Associated Press two weeks ago, Steve Simon, the WTA CEO, said he did not know where the WTA Finals event would be played in 2023, promising a decision “no later than the end of the first quarter of next year.”
“We hope that that’s where we’re going to be,” he said about Shenzhen, “but, obviously, we have some issues to resolve.”
A year ago, the WTA suspended all of its tournaments in China because of concerns about the safety of Peng, a grand slam doubles champion who accused a former government official there of sexual assault.
Simon wanted a full and transparent inquiry into her allegations and a chance for the tour to communicate with her – none of which has happened yet.
Peng immediately disappeared from public view, then tried to recant. She doesn’t leave China and was part of carefully orchestrated appearances during the Beijing Olympics in February.
The portion of the calendar released so far includes new tournaments in Austin, Texas, and Merida, Mexico, in February.