The announcement was made by the Women’s Tennis Association on Thursday saying that they will resume playing in China in the near feature despite having been no resolution for the issue with Peng.
In her social media post, which she later deleted, Peng accused a high-ranking Chinese official of raping her several years ago. This was followed by her disappearing from the public, which sparked concerns for her safety.
In response, the WTA issues the boycott. They had also insisted on a meeting with Peng and called for an investigation into the issue.
In the recent WTA Statement, WTA Chairman and CEO Steve Simon said:
“The stance that we took at the time was appropriate. And we stand by that. But 16 months into this, we’re convinced that our requests will not be met.”
“And to continue with the same strategy doesn’t make sense.”
“So we needed to look at a different approach. With this, our members believe it’s time to resume the mission in China, where we believe we can continue to make a positive difference, as we have for the last 20 years, while at the same time making sure that Peng is not forgotten.”
“By returning, hopefully more progress can be made.”
The last time the 37-year-old player was last seen in public was over a year ago when she had what seemed like planned appearances, including at the 2022 Olympics.
The schedule for China is set to be released in the coming weeks.