World No 5 Caroline Garcia is welcoming the WTA’s decision to resume tennis tournaments in China. This week, the WTA announced tennis tournaments in China will return this fall. In late 2021, the WTA suspended all of its activities in China after former doubles world No 1 Peng Shuai accused a former Chinese vice premier of sexual harassment.
“The ATP and the ITF was already going back, and women’s tennis is following. In the past we have had some huge tournaments over there and I think it is an important swing for us in our calendar and I’m looking forward to it,” Garcia told BBC Sport.
Garcia thinks the WTA made the right decision
China hosts some of the biggest tournaments on the calendar and it is also the host nation for the WTA Finals. The WTA initially demanded to meet with Peng in person and a full and transparent investigation into Peng’s claims.
“After 16 months of suspended tennis competition in China and sustained efforts at achieving our original requests, the situation has shown no sign of changing. We have concluded we will never fully secure those goals, and it will be our players and tournaments who ultimately will be paying an extraordinary price for their sacrifices.
For these reasons, the WTA is lifting its suspension of the operation of tournaments in the People’s Republic of China (“PRC”) and will resume tournaments in China this September,” the WTA said in a statement.
Peng, who announced her retirement from pro tennis during a conversation with L’Equipe last year, is reportedly living safely in Beijing. “We have not been able to achieve everything we set out for, but we have been in touch with people close to Peng and are assured she is living safely with her family in Beijing,” the WTA said in a statement.
Now that tennis tournaments are returning to China, the WTA won’t have to find a replacement location for the 2023 WTA Finals.
