WTA urged to keep Peng Shuai case in focus as women’s tennis returns to China after boycott

WTA returns to China for first time in four years after end of its boycott over concerns about Peng’s safety following sexual assault allegations

Human rights activist calls on players to ‘speak up’ and says governing body should ‘keep pressing the case robustly and publicly’

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China’s Peng Shuai during her first-round singles match against Japan’s Nao Hibino at the 2020 Australian Open. Photo: AP

Published: 4:40pm, 16 Sep 2023

Elite women’s tennis returns to China for the first time in four years at Guangzhou next week after the WTA ended a boycott over concerns about Peng Shuai, but her well-being should remain the focus, a senior human rights advocate said on Friday.

The tournament starting on Monday will be the first in mainland China since 2019 – and while no top-20 stars are expected to attend, it is set to attract plenty of attention.

The women’s tour had been widely praised for suspending its tournaments in the Asian nation after Peng alleged in a now deleted 2021 social media post that a senior former Chinese government official had sexually assaulted her.

Peng then briefly disappeared from public view and the former doubles No 1 later denied making the accusation, sparking an international outcry over her safety.

The WTA, which called for a formal investigation into Peng’s allegations by the appropriate authorities and an opportunity to meet her privately, conceded in April the situation had shown no sign of changing as it announced its return.

China’s Peng Shuai at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. Photo: Reuters

“While it was a huge disappointment that the WTA decided to resume its tournaments in China without reaching a resolution on Peng’s freedom, the case and cause isn’t totally lost,” Yaqiu Wang, China research director at Freedom House told Reuters.