China’s in a Catch-22 over the WTA’s Peng Shuai challenge

In the Women’s Tennis Association, the Chinese government has met a global organization it rarely encounters—one that is standing up for human rights at the cost of the lucrative China market. The WTA on Wednesday said it will pull all tournaments from China, where it has a 10-year deal to hold season-ending tournaments in Shenzhen through 2028, as well as a streaming partnership with Chinese company iQiyi. The organization has been battling with Chinese authorities over the wellbeing of tennis champion Peng Shuai, who last month leveled a sexual assault allegation against a former top Communist Party official.