Will the WTA’s unprecedented action change the landscape of international competition?
Western-based sporting personalities and entities have been increasingly at odds with China. Think of major international incidents over the past few years. The UCLA men’s basketball team had players arrested and held for theft. Daryl Morey commented on Twitter in support of Hong Kong protestors during his time as Houston’s GM. And given reported human rights violations, worldwide concerns have been expressed about China hosting the 2022 Winter Olympics.
That said, not a single sporting organization has taken a stand … until now. The Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) called out China’s government for the suspicious disappearance of former World #1 Doubles player, Peng Shuai.
Shuai had posted to her social media that a former high-ranking member of the Chinese Communist Party forced her to engage in sexual acts. Within minutes of posting, Shuai’s social media was deactivated and, now, she has seemingly vanished from society, a situation that has brought widespread reactions of concern. The sport’s stars, players such as Serena Williams and Naomi Osaka, took to social media asking for Shuai’s safe return. And the WTA and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) have called out the government, encouraging Shuai to speak freely, demanding proof of her safety, and allowing her to return to public life.
The IOC reported having held multiple meetings with Shuai and concluded that her safety was not an issue.
Still, the WTA took a different tact, taking a step that no sporting entity had ever taken before–pulling out of China for the foreseeable future. And no minor act was that–not with the size of China’s $1 billion investment, designed to make the country a tennis power. Furthermore, WTA has warned China that the organization’s decision may extend beyond 2022. Terminating the Association’s relationship with China hangs in the balance.
WTA’s stand says that sports are about more than the competition. There is a cultural element to international engagement, and it’s clear that how China operates is at odds with much of the rest of the world. That said, China’s massive economic footprint and market for promoting sports give that country incredible political leverage. And even though athletes continue to speak out about injustices, consider that the men’s tennis association has not taken a stand similar to the WTA’s.
In my opinion, we are heading toward a reckoning in global sports. Sporting organizations will have to decide between profit and doing what’s right. And the future of international athletics will be defined accordingly.
