WTA fails in bid for Peng Shuai sexual assault investigation with tennis set to return to country
WTAThursday, 13 April 2023 at 15:45
Tennis will return to China on the WTA side for the first time in three years after a u-turn from the organisation after spending most of the past few years asking for a sexual assault investigation into Peng Shuai.
Suspending tournaments in 2021 over concerns of the freedom of Peng Shuai who accused a former Communist Party Official of sexual assault, it started a campaign.
As recently as January, they stated a return to China would hinge on a resolution to the situation including a formal investigation and meeting with the player.
But seemingly, the WTA have failed with that mission with Chinese authorities reportedly giving assurances of her safety and freedom which they have now accepted.
“We’ve been in this for 16 months and we are convinced that at this point our requests will not be met,” WTA chief executive Steve Simon told the BBC.
“To continue with the same strategy doesn’t make sense and a different approach is needed. Hopefully, by returning more progress can be made.”
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Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of TennisUpToDate.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces across the TennisUpToDate network, playing a central role in the daily operation and development of the site.
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