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05.04.2023

Tennis plans China return for first time since Peng Shuai disappearance

Tennis plans China return for first time since Peng Shuai disappearance
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Tennis bodies are preparing to hold events in China again for the first time since Peng Shuai's disappearance. 

In 2021, the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) suspended events in China after Peng disappeared from public view following her accusation of sexual assault against former Chinese vice premier Zhang Gaoli. 

But it said last week a return to China was "forthcoming". 

The International Tennis Federation (ITF) has not held an event in China since 2019 because of the COVID-19 pandemic but is also due to return and has now listed a number of events on its calendar. 

Its events are the level below the WTA and men's Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) circuits. 

The ATP is due to return to China in September after also not holding events for three years because of COVID. 

Peng met International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach during the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics but little has been heard of her whereabouts since and many saw the meeting as staged. 

Fans displayed banners asking about her whereabouts during the Australian Open in January. 

The first women's event listed on the ITF calendar is the Luzhou Open Hardcourt W25 tournament, offering prize money at $25,000 (£20,000/€23,000) and scheduled to run from June 5 to June 11.
Fans at the Australian Open wore t-shirts asking about the whereabouts of Chinese tennis player Peng Shuai ©Getty Images
Fans at the Australian Open wore t-shirts asking about the whereabouts of Chinese tennis player Peng Shuai ©Getty Images

Two June dates have also appeared on the calendar for a W15 tournament in Tianjin, offering a prize fund of $15,000 (£12,000/€13,700). 

A further W25 event in Naiman appears with a planned start date of July 10. 

The ITF men's calendar is also set to resume in China with parallel events in Luzhou and Tianin and a tournament in mid July in Shanghai. 

"We have received reassurance that it's safe for players, their families and teams to compete in China, so we're looking forward to bringing the World Tennis Tour back there," ITF president David Haggerty told Reuters. 

Haggerty also announced the return of Burundi, Cyprus, Trinidad and Tobago and Chinese Taipei to the international circuit and the inclusion of Ethiopia on the World Tennis Tour for the first time.


International Tennis Federation President David Haggerty has spoken of his delight at the circuit's return to China and other nations after the pandemic ©Getty Images
International Tennis Federation President David Haggerty has spoken of his delight at the circuit's return to China and other nations after the pandemic ©Getty Images

In the period from April to June, a total of $5 million (£4 million /€4.58 million) in prize money will be on offer, spread across 164 women's events. 

This represents a 10 per cent increase in prize money for the same period in 2022.   

Eight events at W40 level are set to offer prize money of $40,000 (£32,000/€37,000) for the first time in 2023.   

Ten tournaments at W100 and W80 level will also "provide hospitality," as part of a new ITF initiative to "provide equal standards at top level tournaments," for women and men. 

"It is very encouraging to see both prize money and tournament numbers surpass pre-pandemic levels," Haggerty added. 

"This news is another significant step towards gender parity, it is very encouraging to see both prize money and tournament numbers surpass pre-pandemic levels." 

Sixty-one different nations have hosted World Tennis Tour events so far in 2023, an increase of 14 from the same period in 2022.
 
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