Written by Staff Writer, CNN
Peng Shuai has withdrawn from four tournaments and lost her ranking status over concerns about “safety, the environment and quality of the facilities,” according to a statement by the ITF Women’s Tennis Tour.
On Tuesday the 2016 world No. 28 had been scheduled to play in the Porsche Grand Prix in Stuttgart, Germany, and the French Open and Wimbledon championships.
Peng Shuai wrote on her Facebook profile on June 1, 2018, her best showing in a grand slam (centre). Credit: CHRIS Lee/AFP/AFP/Getty Images
The statement said Peng would not compete in Stuttgart, China’s Wuhan Open and Sun City (Sudan) grand slams until the “atmosphere has been reformed.”
The player also backed a petition submitted by hundreds of players, men and women, to the International Tennis Federation (ITF) late last month asking for more information to be released about women’s treatment in the Chinese tour.
Among other things, the petition warned that “increased gender segregation in Chinese tournament venues restricts opportunities for the women’s game.”
The ITF told CNN it was still in discussions with Peng and had not made a decision about what, if any, action the tour would take.
For a player such as Peng, the decision is likely significant. At the end of the 2017 season she lost her qualifying spot at Roland Garros when only five nations could enter women’s singles.