WTA’s harsh message to China could be unique, cost millions
WTA President and CEO Steve Simon did not set out to lead the way for how sports should confront China when he announced that the women’s tennis tour would suspend tournaments there because of concerns about former Grand Slam doubles champion Peng Shuai’s well-being.
And based on initial reactions Thursday to the WTA’s groundbreaking stance, including from the International Olympic Committee — which is set to open the Beijing Winter Games in two months — along with the men’s tennis tour and International Tennis Federation, no one seems too eager to follow suit. Those kinds of actions would come with a real financial hit.
“I’m not looking to send a message to any other sport bodies or influence their decisions or evaluate their decisions. This is a WTA decision that affected the WTA athlete and our core principles,” Simon said in a video call with The Associated Press on Wednesday.
“And I think it goes beyond that, into obviously something very, very sensitive on a worldwide basis for women, in general. So as the leading women’s sports organization... we’re focused on that.
The WTA is the first sports body to publicly and directly challenge China’s authoritarian government, which is a source of billions in income across sports based elsewhere, such as the Olympics, tennis, the NBA and golf.
Dr. Audrye Wong, a political scientist who researches Chinese politics at the University of Southern California, is skeptical that Simon’s
group will have company.
“This is a brave and commendable move by the WTA, but I doubt that many other sports bodies or businesses will follow in the WTA’s footsteps,” Wong wrote in an email to the Associated Press.
One indication came from the world of tennis in statements issued Thursday by the ITF and the CEO of the men’s ATP Tour: Neither made any mention of China or the WTA suspension.
Wong said it’s possible the WTA’s move could lead to more political repression. “Unfortunately, foreign pressure will also heighten CCP (Chinese Community Party) fears that social movements such as #MeToo pose a threat to regime stability and have to be cracked down on more harshly,” she wrote.
Peng, 35, a three-time Olympian and former No. 1-ranked doubles player, dropped out of public view after making sexual assault allegations a month ago against Zhang Gaoli, who retired in 2018 from the Politburo Standing Committee, the apex of political power in China.
Her accusations, posted on social media, were scrubbed from China’s tightly censored internet within a half-hour. Peng then dropped from public view.