The WTA will lift its tournament ban in the People’s Republic of China this September following a 16-month boycott.
Originally, the WTA banned events in the nation following allegations of sexual assault from Chinese player Peng Shuai towards high-ranking officials in the country. Shuai's subsequent disappearance raised concern among the tennis and international community.
Last year, the WTA raised the idea of bringing competitions back to China, which sparked outrage among fans. The WTA explained in an official statement that it still supports Shuai after she spoke out, but the organisation also believed the time is right to resume competitions in China this autumn.
"After 16 months of suspended tennis competition in China and sustained efforts at achieving our original requests, the situation has shown no sign of changing. We have concluded we will never fully secure those goals, and it will be our players and tournaments who ultimately will be paying an extraordinary price for their sacrifices. For these reasons, the WTA is lifting its suspension of the operation of tournaments in the People’s Republic of China (“PRC”) and will resume tournaments in China this September."
In addition, the WTA provided further reasoning for lifting the ban on official competitions in China. One of the main factors was to provide aspiring female tennis players in the country with more resources and support.
"Through our time and commitment in China over the past 20 years, the WTA has made significant progress in creating a pathway and opportunity for women athletes to pursue tennis as a career and for tennis to become a focus of recreational activity in the country. With the suspension, we forfeited our ability to provide women in the region with opportunities to advance professionally through tennis and be role models for future generations."
The statement also confirmed the safety of Shuai and explained that players travelling to China this year could compete safely at any tournament.
"We have not been able to achieve everything we set out for, but we have been in touch with people close to Peng and are assured she is living safely with her family in Beijing. We also have received assurances that WTA players and staff operating in China will be safe and protected while in the country. The WTA takes this commitment seriously and will hold all parties responsible."
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