November 18, (THEWILL) – As the uncertainty of the whereabouts of Peng Shuai, China’s missing tennis star, enters another day, the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) has threatened to cancel all tournaments in China if she is not found.
Since November 2, when she went on social media to accuse a former Communist Party official of sexual abuse against her, Peng has been unable to be reached.
As THEWILL reported, a message from China, purportedly written by Peng and stating she is simply “resting at home”, was released on Thursday morning providing a disturbing update to the case.
WTA chairman Steve Simon issued his own statement shortly after that strange letter was posted, calling it into question. His statement read, in part.
“The WTA and the rest of the world need independent and verifiable proof that she is safe. I have repeatedly tried to reach her via numerous forms of communication, to no avail.
“I have a hard time believing that Peng Shuai actually wrote the email we received.”
Now, in a determined attempt to protect the safety of the two-time Grand Slam doubles champion, Simon has sent an ultimatum to China.
If Peng is not discovered, he claims the WTA would cancel all tournaments in the nation, which include ten events slated for next year.
“If at the end of the day we don’t see the appropriate results from this, we would be prepared to take that step and not operate our business in China, if that’s what it came to,” Simon insisted.
As THEWILL previously reported, several tennis stars have publicly expressed their concern about Peng’s whereabouts, including Japanese player Naomi Osaka and world number player Novak Djokovic.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
