“We’re definitely willing to pull our business and deal with all the complications that come with it,” Simon said in an interview Thursday with CNN. “Because this is definitely more than work,” Simon added.

“Women should be respected and not monitored,” Simon said.

Peng’s post on Weibo, China’s Twitter-like platform, was deleted within 30 minutes of publication, as Chinese censors moved quickly to eliminate any mention of the accusation online. Her Weibo account, which has more than half a million followers, is still banned from searchers on the platform.

The strong interference from tennis chief Simon puts it on a potential collision course with the authorities in China, which has so far refused to publicly acknowledge Ping’s allegations. Perceived criticism of China, which is due to host the 2022 Winter Olympics in February, has previously led to significant public and political backlash, as well as a loss of access.

‘A progress statement of some kind’

Simon said the WTA had held talks with its counterparts in the Chinese Tennis Association, who provided assurances that Peng was unharmed in Beijing. but, Attempts to reach Peng directly have proven unsuccessful.

“We reached out to her via every phone number, email address and other forms of contact,” he said. “There are too many digital methods to contact people these days, and we still haven’t been able to get a response yet.”

The purported email was only released on English-language platforms and its contents were not reported by local Chinese media, despite Peng being a household name in China.

When asked about the email, Simon questioned its authenticity, calling it a “progress statement of sorts”, noting that he had yet to receive a response, despite responding promptly.

“Whether she was forced to write it or not, someone wrote it for her, we don’t know,” Simon said. “But at this point I don’t think there’s any truth to that and we won’t feel comfortable until we have the opportunity to speak to her,” he added.

The popularity of tennis in China has grown rapidly over the past few decades, with many Chinese players breaking into the world rankings. The women’s game, in particular, is a big market, thanks in part to the success of Chinese tennis star Li Na, who in 2011 became Asia’s first ever Grand Slam champion when she won the French Open, followed by a second major title at the tournament. . Australian Open 2014.

In recent years, the WTA has made a big push in China. In 2019, the WTA Finals moved from Singapore to the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen, and entered into a long, ten-year deal.

“When you factor in the award money commitment and the commitments to the WTA, and you factor in the components of stadium construction and real estate, that’s over $1 billion they committed to the WTA and WTA Finals,” he was quoted as saying.

Tennis star Naomi Osaka said Tuesday that she is “shocked by the current situation.”

International interest in Peng, a three-time Olympian, having represented China at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio, London in 2012, and Beijing in 2008, can now bolster those calls.

However, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has distanced itself from putting pressure on the Chinese authorities.

In response to CNN, the IOC said: “Experience shows that quiet diplomacy offers the best chance of finding a solution to issues like this. This explains why the IOC has not commented further at this point.”

Human Rights Watch accused the IOC of being “silent about the Olympian’s disappearance.” “It is astonishing that the IOC has accepted the government’s assertions, particularly at the expense of an Olympian who makes serious allegations,” the world rights organization said in a statement.

Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said Peng’s accusation is not a diplomatic issue and declined to make further comments.