International Federation Announces Return of Tennis Tournaments to China This Year

The International Tennis Federation announced today, Monday, the return of its tournaments to China this year after a three-year absence due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It revealed its tournament schedule for the second quarter of 2023 and confirmed that it anticipates the resumption of competitions in China later this year, though without providing specific details. This announcement follows a statement from the Women's Tennis Association a few days ago indicating that its decision regarding a potential return to China was "imminent" after competitions were suspended there due to safety concerns surrounding former world No. 1 doubles player Peng Shuai. The president of the International Federation, David Haggerty, stated to Reuters in February: "We believe it is important to hold global tour events and international tournaments in all countries around the world." In the last full season in 2019 before the pandemic, China hosted 25 women's tournaments under the International Federation, along with 15 men's tournaments. The global tour includes professional tournaments, albeit at a lower level than the top tier of the sport.