Peng Shuai and the WTA's Stand on China

Timeline

1. Nov 2, 2021Peng posts an allegation about Zhang Gaoli; it is deleted and censored.
2. Nov 2021Peng disappears from public view; the WTA cannot reach her.
3. Nov 21, 2021Peng reappears in Chinese state media videos.
4. Dec 1, 2021The WTA suspends all tournaments in China, including Hong Kong.
5. Feb 2022Peng meets IOC officials at the Beijing Olympics and tells L'Équipe she did not allege sexual assault.
6. Apr 13, 2023The WTA lifts its suspension and announces a return to China.

The ethical issues

• Athlete safety: protecting players who speak out.
• Corporate courage: accepting financial losses for principles.
• Censorship and free expression.
• Quiet diplomacy: the IOC's approach compared with the WTA's.
• Credibility of statements made under possible pressure.

Stakeholders

Stakeholder	Interests & obligations
Peng Shuai	Safety, freedom and voice.
WTA players	Safety and earning opportunities.
WTA	Principles, revenue and credibility.
Chinese authorities	Control of information and image.
IOC	Relationship with an Olympic host.
Tournament organizers and sponsors	Events and investments.

The case

Peng Shuai was one of China’s most successful tennis players, a former world No. 1 in doubles who won the women’s doubles at Wimbledon in 2013 and the French Open in 2014.^[1]

Background

Peng reached No. 14 in the singles rankings in August 2011 and won two singles titles and 23 doubles titles on the WTA Tour.^[1] With her long-time childhood friend Hsieh Su-wei, she won five doubles titles in 2013, including Wimbledon and the WTA Championships. In February 2014 she became the first Chinese player, man or woman, to be ranked world No. 1 in any discipline.^[1]

Her November 2021 Weibo post ran to about 1,600 words and was shared widely before it was taken down.^[5] It described a long relationship with Zhang Gaoli, a former member of the Politburo Standing Committee.^[5] The key sentence can be translated in several ways, from “forced” to “pressured” into sex, and that ambiguity later fed confusion about what she had alleged.^[5] The WTA’s statement quoted a line from the post: “Even if it is like an egg hitting a rock, or if I am like a moth drawn to the flame, inviting self-destruction, I will tell the truth about you.”^[2]

The rules and governance

The WTA framed its decision in terms of its founding principle of equality for women. Its statement said that if powerful people could “suppress the voices of women and sweep allegations of sexual assault under the rug,” that principle would “suffer an immense setback.”^[2] It set three conditions: an end to censorship, verifiable proof that Peng could speak freely, and a full, fair and transparent investigation of the allegation.^[2] It also cited risks to players and staff who might compete in China in 2022.^[2]

The IOC relied on direct contact instead. President Thomas Bach held a video call with Peng during the weeks of concern and later had dinner with her in Beijing during the Winter Olympics.^[5] The terms of the L’Équipe interview mattered. Questions were submitted in advance, the paper agreed to publish her answers without commentary, and a Chinese Olympic Committee representative was present and translated.^[5] Peng said she had deleted the post herself and cited her age, surgeries and the pandemic when she raised the possibility of retiring.^[5]

The post

On November 2, 2021, Peng posted a long message on Weibo describing a relationship with Zhang Gaoli, a former vice premier and member of the Communist Party’s top leadership, who had retired in 2018. The post included an allegation that he had pressured her into sex.^[1] It was removed in less than an hour, and discussion of it was censored in China.^[1]

Peng was not seen in public for weeks. Chinese officials gave vague responses to inquiries, and the WTA could not reach her.^[1] On November 21, she reappeared in videos on Chinese state media, and the IOC said it had held video calls with her.^[1] According to the IOC’s account of the 30-minute call, Bach was joined by the chair of its Athletes’ Commission and by its member in China, who had known Peng for years through the Chinese Tennis Federation. Peng “explained that she is safe and well, living at her home in Beijing, but would like to have her privacy respected at this time.” Bach invited her to dinner in Beijing in January, and she accepted.^[6] The IOC did not say whether the allegation was discussed.^[6]

The WTA’s response

WTA chief executive Steve Simon called on Chinese authorities to investigate the allegation and stop censoring discussion of it.^[1] On December 1, 2021, he announced the immediate suspension of all WTA tournaments in China, including Hong Kong. “While we now know where Peng is, I have serious doubts that she is free, safe and not subject to censorship, coercion and intimidation,” he said. “In good conscience, I don’t see how I can ask our athletes to compete there.”^[2]

The IOC’s approach

The IOC took a different, less confrontational approach. On December 2, 2021, the day after the WTA’s announcement, it said an IOC team had held another video call with her. It said it was using “quiet diplomacy,” which it described as “the most promising way to proceed effectively in such humanitarian matters,” and was addressing its concerns “directly with Chinese sports organisations.”^[7] During the February 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, she met IOC officials and attended events.^[1] In an interview with L’Équipe, conducted with a Chinese Olympic Committee official present who translated her answers, she said, “I never said anyone sexually assaulted me,” and that her post had caused a “huge misunderstanding.” She also said she would retire.^[1][5] The IOC said Bach had dined with her at the Olympic Club in Beijing, joined by IOC member Kirsty Coventry. Peng then attended a curling match, spoke of her disappointment at not qualifying for Tokyo, and accepted an invitation to visit the IOC in Lausanne once the pandemic was over. The IOC added that “any further communication about the content of the meeting would be left to her discretion.”^[8]

The return

On April 13, 2023, the WTA lifted its suspension. It said that after 16 months, “the situation has shown no sign of changing,” that it would “never fully secure” its goals, and that players and tournaments were paying “an extraordinary price.” It said it had received assurances from people close to Peng that she was living safely with her family in Beijing.^[3][4] New York Times and Guardian writers criticized the decision.^[1]

Reactions to the interview

The BBC’s China correspondent compared the interview to a propaganda exercise, and rights groups criticized the IOC’s handling of China’s human rights record around the Games.^[5] The WTA said the interview did nothing to ease its concerns and repeated its call for a formal investigation and a private meeting with Peng.^[5]

Aftermath

The WTA returned to China in September 2023 without its three conditions met. The BBC reported that it had accepted that the Chinese government would not carry out an investigation.^[3][4] Its statement acknowledged that “praise alone is insufficient to bring about change” and that the suspension had cost it “our ability to provide women in the region with opportunities to advance professionally through tennis.” It said it had received assurances that players and staff “will be safe and protected,” and that it would “hold all parties responsible.”^[3] Simon told the BBC that the “great majority” of players supported returning, that the WTA Finals would resume their 10-year deal with Shenzhen, and that he had still not been able to speak with Peng personally. He noted that no other sports body or business had taken a similar stand. Because of COVID-19 rules, no tournaments could have been held in China during the suspension anyway.^[4] The WTA said it did not regret the suspension and that “Peng cannot be forgotten through this process.” Zhang Gaoli had not commented publicly on the allegation.^[3][4]

The core dilemma

The WTA took a stand no other major sports body had taken, sacrificing significant revenue. Its demands were not met, and it returned. Was the stand meaningful, and what should organizations do when principle meets commercial reality?

Competing values

• Principle vs. revenue: human rights against financial survival.
• Public pressure vs. private engagement: confrontation against private engagement.
• Athlete safety vs. athlete livelihood: protecting one player against opportunities for many.
• Respecting Peng’s words vs. doubting their freedom.

Strongest arguments

For the suspension: it signaled that the WTA would not ignore a player’s allegation or apparent coercion, and gave visibility to Peng’s case.

For the return: the suspension had achieved what it could, and continuing would harm players and tournaments without helping Peng.

Applying the frameworks

Rights

A rights lens centers Peng’s freedom of expression and her right to have an allegation investigated without coercion. It asks whether sport organizations have duties to defend athletes’ rights even against powerful states, and what the limits of those duties are.

Ethics of care

The care lens asks what was best for Peng herself, whose voice was hardest to hear. Would public pressure protect her or put her at greater risk? It also asks how organizations care for an athlete they cannot reach.

Utilitarian

A utilitarian lens weighs the WTA’s lost revenue and the players’ lost opportunities against the value of a principled stand and the precedent it sets. The WTA’s 2023 statement explicitly cited the “extraordinary price” of its boycott.

Walk it through: the Simple Decision Model

1. Spot the issue. You are a member of the WTA board in November 2021. A player has posted an allegation against a powerful official and then vanished from view. The stakeholders include the player, other players, tournament organizers, sponsors and women in sport generally. The codes in play are the WTA’s founding mission and its duty to protect players.
2. Gather facts. Can anyone independently confirm the player’s safety and freedom? What do state media appearances show, and what do they not show?
3. Test options. Options: (a) engage quietly; (b) issue public demands while keeping events; (c) suspend events in China until the conditions are met. Weigh the player’s safety against the loss of commercial partnerships and access.
4. Check codes and law. Would you accept this decision if a powerful person in your own country had silenced the player? Are you prepared to explain the cost to players and sponsors?
5. Decide and document. Record the conditions for change and the evidence you will accept.
6. Communicate and follow up. Communicate the decision and your reasons publicly, then review progress at set intervals and revisit the policy if circumstances change.

What’s settled and what’s contested

• Settled: the post and its censorship; the WTA suspension and return; Peng’s later statements.
• Contested: whether Peng’s later statements were freely made; whether the WTA’s stand changed anything.

Why this case matters

The Peng case is a rare example of a sports body accepting financial losses on principle, and a lesson in the limits of such stands.

Key terms

Commercialization

The process of turning sport into a product and a business enterprise, with profit pressures that can compete with principle.

Duty of care

The responsibility of coaches, organizations and institutions to protect the health, safety and well-being of those in their charge. It is not a license for total control.

Agency

An athlete’s ability to make decisions and act independently about their body, career and voice.

Sportswashing

Using sport, through events, teams or sponsorship, to improve the reputation of a state or company and distract from wrongdoing.

Definitions from the Ethics Cases glossary.

Discussion questions

1. Was the WTA right to suspend its tournaments in China? Was it right to return?
2. How should organizations evaluate statements by an athlete who may be under pressure?
3. The IOC engaged privately rather than applying public pressure. Which approach better served Peng?
4. Should other organizations, such as the men's tour, have followed the WTA's lead?
5. What does this case suggest about the risks of commercial dependence on authoritarian states?

Sources

1. Peng Shuai — Wikipedia
2. Steve Simon announces WTA's decision to suspend tournaments in China — WTA
3. The WTA to resume tournaments in China this fall — WTA
4. WTA tournaments will return to China after boycott over Peng Shuai allegations — BBC Sport
5. Peng Shuai: Weibo post sparked 'huge misunderstanding' — BBC News
6. IOC President and IOC Athletes' Commission Chair hold video call with Peng Shuai (Nov 21, 2021) — International Olympic Committee (archived)
7. IOC Statement on the situation of Peng Shuai (Dec 2, 2021) — International Olympic Committee (archived)
8. IOC statement on meeting with Peng Shuai (Feb 7, 2022) — International Olympic Committee (archived)