On Thursday, an International Tennis Federation (ITF) source has confirmed to Reuters that there will be no World Tennis Tour events held in China in 2022.
The source has not clarified if the decision was linked to concerns over the health and safety of doubles star Peng Shuai.
In 2019 before the Covid-19 pandemic, China has hosted full season of about 25 ITF women’s and 15 men’s events.
As reported by Streets Insider, "World Tennis Tour events are professional tournaments below the elite level. The ITF Women’s World Tennis Tour offers approximately 500 tournaments across 65 countries offering prize money from $15,000 to $100,000."
“No men’s or women’s ITF World Tennis Tour tournaments are scheduled to be played in China in 2022," the ITF source told Reuters without mentioning any further details.
However, the ITF did not clarify any reason for the decision but it will be following the move taken by the Women’s Tennis Association’s (WTA) to suspend tournaments in China as per Peng’s accusations of sexual assault against a former vice premier.
Peng is a former doubles world number one tennis player. She accused China’s former Vice-Premier Zhang Gaoli of forcing her into sex. After her accusations she was unseen in public for nearly three weeks as she posted a message on social media in November. Her whereabouts has become a matter of international concern.