The governing body of men’s tennis has been criticised for not joining the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) in suspending all tournaments in China over concerns about the welfare of Chinese player Peng Shuai.
The Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) released a statement on Thursday saying the situation “raises serious concern”, adding that having a “global presence” gave it the best chance of “making an impact”.
It came a day after the WTA said all its tournaments in China would not take place for the time being amid continuing concerns for the safety of Peng, who accused a former high-ranking government official in China of sexual assault.
Peng dropped out of public view after raising the allegations about former vice premier Zhang Gaoli in a social media posting that was quickly taken down by Chinese authorities last month.
In the ATP statement, chairman Andrea Gaudenzi said: “The situation involving Peng Shuai continues to raise serious concerns within and beyond our sport.
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“The response to those concerns has so far fallen short. We again urge for a line of open direct communication between the player and the WTA in order to establish a clearer picture of her situation.
“We know that sport can have a positive influence on society and generally believe that having a global presence gives us the best chance of creating opportunity and making an impact.”
Eighteen-time Grand Slam champion Martina Navratilova was among the tennis players who criticised the ATP’s response.
She tweeted: “Are we to understand that the ATP would have made the same statement had the player been a male? Somehow I think not.”
Former men’s world number one Andy Roddick also said the ATP statement showed “how to say a lot of words and say nothing”.
American player Mardy Fish tweeted: “That’s a statement?” and his compatriot Tennys Sandgren wrote: “It’s important to understand that we as the players are completely handcuffed in our ability to act as a collective, and our leadership from the @atptour is complete dumpster.”
Britain’s Liam Broady also criticised the sports body after calling for “a united response across all organisations” on Thursday.
He wrote: “Absolutely embarrassing. Not surprised in the slightest by the IOC response but @atptour response equally full of fluff.”
His comments came after the International Olympic Committee said they will be allowed to meet Chinese tennis player Peng Shuai in person in January and that “quiet diplomacy” could resolve her case.
The IOC said it had held a second video call with Peng on Wednesday following one late last month.
The International Tennis Federation (ITF), which is the governing body of tennis, said in a statement on Thursday that it stands in support of all women’s rights.
“Our primary concern remains Peng Shuai’s wellbeing. The allegations Peng made must be addressed,” the ITF said.
“We will continue to support all efforts being made to that end, both publicly and behind the scenes.”