WTA Tour set to return to China in 2023 following suspension over Peng Shuai situation
World Tennis Association (WTA) has been suspended by the International Tennis Federation (ITF) following a ruling by the Committee for Tennis Professionals (CTP) governing body. This means that the WTA is not allowed to participate in ITF events until the suspension is lifted.
In a statement to reporters on Thursday, the International Tennis Federation (ITF) said that the decision means that the WTA’s return to the country can only happen if the suspension is overturned.
As this is the third time that the WTA has been suspended for misconduct, it is unclear how long the ban might last. An ITF statement released Thursday said that the CTP is currently assessing the situation and will decide on a “timely resolution.”
The WTA was banned from participating in the Indian Open in December to deal with an internal matter. WTA has been banned from participating in ATP and ITF events since February 2019. For the record, the first time was for a period of 50 days.
In October 2019, the WTA was banned from competing in any more events. That ban was lifted in April 2020 after the CTP decided to suspend the WTA for a year in a move that was taken to deal with WTA’s “persistent behavior,” according to the statement.
The WTA was also banned from competing in the following events until 2024: Miami Masters in Miami, 2017; Qatar Masters in Doha, Qatar, 2018; Indian Open in New Delhi, India, 2019; Indian Wells Masters in Indian Wells, California, 2018; Indian Open in Chennai, India, 2017; and New York Open in New York, 2018. It has been suspended from participating in the following events until it has a resolution, which could be for a year: Miami Masters, 2017; Indian Open, 2018; and Australian Open, 2017. It has been suspended from competing in the following events until it has a resolution, which could be for two years: Indian Open, 2018; Qatar Masters, 2018; and Indian Wells Masters, 2018.
The WTA was also banned from competing in the following tournaments: French Open, 2017 and 2018; Wimbledon, 2012 and 2014, and the following