Women's Tennis Association CEO Steve Simon is threatening to pull out of China over the disappearance of tennis star Peng Shuai after receiving an apparently "staged statement" attributed to her.
Simon spoke with CNN amid growing concern for Peng, whose whereabouts have been unknown after she made an allegation of sexual assault against a former Chinese official. The WTA chair has been demanding assurances that Peng is safe and calling for an investigation into her allegations, and he told CNN that "we're definitely willing to pull our business" out of China and "deal with all the complications that come with it," adding, "This is bigger than the business."
Simon also said that "we're at a crossroads with our relationship" with China, which he described as "very sad" because "we have some amazing relationships over there." But "we have to start, as a world, making decisions that are based upon right and wrong, period," he said.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The WTA chair previously received an email attributed to Peng, which was shared by Chinese state media. But he said he doubted Peng actually wrote it, especially since the email walks back her sexual assault allegations. Simon on CNN said he doesn't believe this "staged statement" and that he still has "very strong concerns" about Peng. He also said he responded to the email but never heard back and "won't be comfortable until we have a chance to speak with her directly."
Serena Williams became the latest major athlete to speak out about Peng's disappearance, tweeting Thursday that she's "devastated and shocked" over the news. "I hope she is safe and found as soon as possible," Williams wrote. "This must be investigated and we must not stay silent." Naomi Osaka also said this week, "I hope Peng Shuai and her family are safe and ok. I'm in shock of the current situation and I'm sending love and light her way."
-
Icarus programme – the ‘internet of animals’The Explainer Researchers aim to monitor 100,000 animals worldwide with GPS trackers, using data to understand climate change and help predict disasters and pandemics
-
Experience Tanzania’s untamed wilderness from Lemala’s luxury lodgesThe Week Recommends The vast protected landscapes are transformed into a verdant paradise during ‘emerald season’
-
Crossword: October 9, 2025The Week's daily crossword
-
One great cookbook: ‘The Woks of Life’The Week Recommends A family’s opinionated, reliable take on all kinds of Chinese cooking
-
Primatologist Jane Goodall dies at 91Speed Read She rose to fame following her groundbreaking field research with chimpanzees
-
How digital ID cards work around the worldThe Explainer Many countries use electronic ID to streamline access to services despite concern by civil rights groups they ‘shift the balance of power towards the state’
-
A guide to the Great Wall of ChinaThe Week Recommends Experience this architectural feat
-
Florida erases rainbow crosswalk at Pulse nightclubSpeed Read The colorful crosswalk was outside the former LGBTQ nightclub where 49 people were killed in a 2016 shooting
-
Trump says Smithsonian too focused on slavery's illsSpeed Read The president would prefer the museum to highlight 'success,' 'brightness' and 'the future'
-
Trump to host Kennedy Honors for Kiss, StalloneSpeed Read Actor Sylvester Stallone and the glam-rock band Kiss were among those named as this year's inductees
-
White House seeks to bend Smithsonian to Trump's viewSpeed Read The Smithsonian Institution's 21 museums are under review to ensure their content aligns with the president's interpretation of American history
