Chinese tennis player Peng Shuai has yet to contact the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) directly, which says there is “no money” to stop the tournament pulling events out of China.
Peng hasn’t been heard from since she made a sexual assault allegation against a top Chinese government official.
WTA President Steve Simon told the BBC there would be no events in China next year without proof that Peng was safe.
“We can’t stand compromises. It’s a matter of right and wrong,” he said.
The China Tennis Association has informed Peng that the WTA is safe and in Beijing, although Simon said there is no confirmation yet.
Then on Friday, three photos of Peng were posted on a WeChat account under her name with the caption ‘Happy Weekend’. However, the authenticity of the post on the Chinese instant messaging service was questioned by media analyst Kerry Allen of BBC China.
“I’m very, very concerned about her,” Simon said in an interview with the BBC.
Fears for the welfare of 35-year-old Peng have continued to mount since she said on November 3 she was “forced” into an affair with former Chinese vice premier Zhang. Gaoli.
Peng made the allegations in a post on the Chinese social network Weibo, and they were soon removed from the Chinese internet.
It is the first time such a statement has been made against one of China’s senior political leaders.
Simon added: “I’m very concerned about the challenges that come when someone has the courage to step up and speak up, bringing back a past experience associated with sexual assault or harassment.
“It took a lot of courage just to get to that point – and now she’s facing a lot more pressure if she’s hearing what’s going on.
“It’s important to us that we can make sure she knows we’re worried for her and that we’re prepared to provide whatever level of support she needs.”
Peng is a former world number one doubles player who has won two Grand Slam titles – at Wimbledon 2013 and the 2014 French Open, alongside Hsieh Su-wei of Chinese Taipei.
She also achieved a career-high singles ranking of 14 in 2011 and reached the semi-finals of the US Open singles in 2014.
Earlier this week, Chinese state media published an email attributed to Peng, but Simon doubts about its authenticity.
Speaking to BBC tennis correspondent Russell Fuller, Simon said he did not believe that voicing a strong objection and demanding answers from the Chinese authorities would be counterproductive.
“Diplomacy has always been very powerful and I’m sure they wouldn’t want us not to talk about it,” he said.
“I think we should deal with that better than working in a vacuum where nobody knows and the world is trying to figure out where we are.
“I’m very comfortable with the approach we’ve taken right now and we will continue to do so in a very respectful and hopefully responsible manner.”
WTA prepares to pull tournaments out of China
The WTA has relied heavily on Chinese investment for player tours, leading to a number of exciting tournaments and end-of-season finals being held in the country in recent years.
However, Simon said assurances about Peng’s safety and a transparent investigation into her allegations were paramount to the WTA, not the financial impact of potentially dragging her down. events out of China if these conditions are not met.
Simon added: “This is not about money, it’s about doing what’s right and making sure Peng Shuai is safe and free.”
“The sad thing is we have some great partners and some great friendships in China.
“We don’t want to be in this position, but at the end of the day this is one of those decisions where compromise is unacceptable.
“We have to do what’s right here and we’ll figure that out if we’re ultimately in that position at the end of the day.”
Stars speak out when people ask #WhereIsPengShuai
Serena Williams, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray are among those who have expressed their concerns about Peng’s whereabouts.
People from across tennis – including past and present tennis players, coaches and journalists – have asked for answers about Peng’s welfare, as have sports stars, actors, and actresses. and other famous politicians.
Many people used #WhereIsPengShuai on Twitter posts, along with a photo of her.
The Lawn Tennis Association, the sport’s governing body in the United Kingdom, said it had “offered support” to the WTA to “establish the safety and welfare” of Peng.
The United Nations has said it wants proof of Peng’s whereabouts and has urged the need for an investigation “with full transparency”.
Analysis
Russell Fuller, BBC tennis reporter
Withdrawing from China will have significant implications for the WTA Tour’s finances, player earnings, and the spread of the sport among the country’s 1.4 billion people.
Steve Simon argues that the Tour puts too many eggs in one basket, but there are typically 10 China events per year on the WTA schedule. Many people are very attractive.
The last time the WTA Finals took place in Shenzhen, in 2019, there was $14 million in prize money.
And 15 of the top 20 tennis players in the world did not go to Wuhan, just two weeks after the US Open 2019 ended, just to visit Li Na’s birthplace.
Financial losses will be greatly reduced. But Simon believes in this regard “compromise is unacceptable”.
