Tennis/Peng Shuai case: Human Rights Watch calls on the WTA not to resume tournaments in China

"I have tremendous sympathy for the WTA because I know it's losing a lot of money but I have to say it got so much praise for standing up for the values it believes in contrary to a lot of other businesses. I really hope it (WTA) can stick to what it said. I understand it's a lot of money but human rights are more important," said Yaqiu Wang, spokesperson for the NGO Human Rights Watch, to the British news agency Reuters on 03/04/2023 about the WTA's refusal to hold tournaments in China until the Peng Shuai case is resolved.

Steve Simon, chairman and CEO of the WTA, announced "the immediate suspension of all WTA tournaments in China, including Hong Kong" on 01/12/2021. This decision followed the disappearance of Chinese player Peng Shuai after she accused former Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli of sexual assault on 02/11/2021. She then reappeared in videos released by Chinese media and in a video call with Thomas Bach, president of the IOC, on 21/11/2021, but it could not be determined that she was speaking "without censorship or coercion," according to the WTA.

The WTA had announced that…