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Steve Simon, president of the WTA, talked about the situation in China. Even if the country abandons its zero-covid strategy, the women’s circuit will not return to China without answers on the Peng Shuai case.
In 2019, nine WTA tournaments had been held in China. While the WTA made the decision to leave the Chinese territory after the Peng Shuai affair – in November 2021, the Chinese player had disappeared after accusing a regime official of rape, before reappearing long weeks later to announce her sporting retirement – the boss of the circuit, Steve Simon, spoke about the future of women’s tennis in China in an interview with the New York Times . “We have taken a firm position, we support that position and we will not compromise our principles,” he reaffirmed.
Originally scheduled to be held in Shenzen as part of a lucrative 10-year deal, the WTA Finals were moved to Guadalajara, Mexico, in 2021 and to Fort Worth, USA, this year. In addition, China’s zero-covid policy does not allow the return of the professional circuit. The ATP, which has staked less on China than its women’s counterpart, but still has a Masters 1000 in Shanghai, did not make a stop there in 2022.
Present in Fort Worth, Simon reiterated that the suspension of the China tour tournaments will not be lifted until there is a credible and transparent investigation into the Peng Shuai allegations. If the impasse persists, the WTA boss said the tour would seek a longer-term solution for the Women’s Masters, which has traditionally been a key revenue source in the WTA’s budget.
