Tennis stars back WTA move to suspend China events over Peng

LAUSANNE: Tennis stars threw their support behind the WTA’s move to suspend its tournaments in China over concern for Peng Shuai, as Olympic chiefs said Thursday they had held a second video call with her.

The women’s tennis tour made the decision over what its chairman Steve Simon called enduring “serious doubts” about the safety of Chinese player Peng, who accused a former Communist Party leader of sexual assault.

Simon reiterated his calls for China to conduct “a full and transparent investigation - without censorship” into Peng’s claim that former vice-premier Zhang Gaoli “forced” her into sex.

The WTA’s move to suspend its tournaments in China, including Hong Kong, won the backing of some of the biggest names in tennis, including men’s number one Novak Djokovic and women’s tour founder Billie Jean King.

The decision could potentially cost the WTA hundreds of millions of dollars because China is one of its biggest markets.

Djokovic called the WTA’s stance “very bold and very courageous”, while 12-time Grand Slam singles winner King tweeted that the WTA was “on the right side of history.”

Tennis great Martina Navratilova challenged the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to respond, writing on Twitter that “so far I can barely hear you!!!”

China will host the Beijing Winter Olympics in February.

The IOC, whose president Thomas Bach spoke to Peng for 30 minutes on November 21 in one of the first contacts that a Western organisation had with her, said it had held a second call on Wednesday.