World women’s tennis showed its determination with Beijing suspending its tournaments in China due to the situation of the player Peng Shuai, with whom the IOC again held a video call, the institution announced on Thursday, defending its “human approach” in the case. .
“We share the same concern as many other people and organizations on the issue of the well-being and safety of Peng Shuai, but we have opted for a very human and person-centered approach,” the Olympic body said in a statement, without publishing recordings. or images from this interview.
In one of her few reactions to the case, but in the same vein, the ATP, the male counterpart of the WTA, demanded “a direct line of communication between the player and the WTA”, although rejecting the idea of a boycott of China. .
A “presence around the world gives more chances to achieve results,” said ATP President Andrea Gaudenzi.
– New meeting of half an hour –
Ten days ago, IOC President Thomas Bach made the first contact of a foreign interlocutor with the player.
On this occasion, it was “an IOC team” that conducted the second “half-hour” videoconference, in which the player “seemed safe and well, taking into account the difficult situation in which she finds herself.”
As in its previous communiqués on the subject, the IOC does not refer to the sexual assault allegations that Peng Shuai made against a former senior Chinese leader in early November. He did not claim to clarify this point or guarantee the player’s freedom of movement.
This stance, seen by many as a way to keep up with China, which will host the Winter Games in Beijing in two months (February 4-22, 2022), contrasts with the decision announced on Wednesday by the WTA, which runs the circuit. professional women’s tennis, to suspend their tournaments in the country.
Steve Simon, the WTA president, again called for a “full and transparent, uncensored investigation” into the allegations by Peng, the former world number one in stuntmen, of alleged sexual abuse by former Deputy Prime Minister Zhang Gaoli.
The Chinese authorities limited themselves to signaling their strong opposition “to acts to politicize the sport,” said Wang Wenbin, a spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The China Tennis Association expressed its “outrage” in a message published by the official Global Times newspaper.
China is one of the main markets for the WTA, which could suffer hundreds of millions of dollars in losses from this decision. In 2019, it hosted 10 events on the women’s circuit with a total prize pool of $ 30 million.
“I don’t see how to ask our athletes to participate in tournaments when Peng Shuai is not allowed to communicate freely and has apparently been pressured to retract her allegations of sexual abuse,” Simon defended.
There is currently no pending tournament on the women’s circuit and the 2022 schedule has not yet been published.
During the 2019 season, the last one before the covid-19 pandemic, 10 tournaments were organized in China, including the end-of-year Women’s Masters.
– Support from Djokovic –
Peng Shuai, 35, did not appear in public for nearly three weeks in November after posting a lengthy message on social media accusing former Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli, 40 years older, of “forcing” her to have sex for a period of time. a relationship that lasted several years.
The WTA’s decision to withdraw its tournaments from China was backed by leading figures in the sport, from No. 1 Novak Djokovic to American legend Billie Jean King, a twelve-time Grand Slam winner, who said the WTA “was on the right side of the story. “
Djokovic praised from the Davis Cup in Madrid the “bold and courageous” decision, having “no information about Peng Shuai and” his well-being.
Legend Martina Navratilova said it was “a brave position for Steve Simons and the WTA to put principles above dollars and stand for women everywhere.”
Peng Shuai reappeared on November 21 at a restaurant in Beijing and during a tennis tournament in the Chinese capital, according to videos published by official media.
The WTA told AFP on Saturday that Steve Simon had sent two emails to the player but that “it was clear that her responses were influenced by others”, adding that he remained “deeply concerned” about her situation.
es-ig-ehl / fby / pm / iga
