2021 Issue 48

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The decision by the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) to suspend all tournaments and events in China—including Hong Kong—sets a new standard for how leagues and athletic organizations should approach their operations in China. Unable to guarantee the safety and freedom of one player, WTA Chairman Steve Simon wrote in a statement that remaining in China would undermine the confidence of every athlete playing within his organization and denigrate the central value of the league, “equality for women.”  The next question is: will other leagues and the International Olympic Committee follow the WTA’s leadership.