Tennis, Peng Shuai disappeared: WTA ready to stop tournaments in China

The Women’s Tennis Association (WTA), the association that brings together professional tennis players from all over the world, is ready to stop all its scheduled tournaments in China if no light is shed on the fate of Peng Shuai, the former tennis player disappeared after denouncing being sexually assaulted by former Chinese vice premier, Zhang Gaoli. This was underlined by the CEO of the WTA, Steve Simon, in an interview with CNN in which he questioned the holding of the ten events scheduled in China in 2022 for a value of tens of millions of dollars. “We are at a crossroads in our relationship with China and our business there,” said Simon, after the publication of an email, attributed to Peng herself, in which the former Chinese star explains that he is fine and that “those allegations (of having been sexually abused, ed) are not true ”, but on which doubts have been raised regarding the reliability and veracity. “I have a hard time believing that Peng Shuai actually wrote the email we received or believe to what is attributed to it, “said Simon, saying he is ready to stop” our business “in China and” to face all the complications that come with it because this is certainly more important than business “.