The WTA's decision to end its China boycott over concerns about Peng Shuai will generate much-needed revenue for the women's tennis tour and provide more financial opportunities for players, Britain's Anne Keothavong said.
Former player Keothavong, now captain of Britain's Billie Jean King Cup team, said she hoped Peng was safe but that ultimately "tennis is a business".
Peng briefly disappeared from public view after her post but made an appearance at the Beijing Winter Olympics last year and conducted an interview with French publication L'Equipe. "From a tennis perspective, hopefully it'll be a welcome return," Keothavong told British media. "I don't know whether they've been able to investigate in the way they would have liked, but tennis is a business.China's State Council Information office and the Chinese Tennis Association did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment.
China staged nine WTA events with a total prize purse of $30.4 million in 2019, its last full year of operations in the country before COVID-19 travel restrictions.
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