What Peng Shuai Started
The tennis player unraveled China’s carefully-curated image.
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Episode Notes
When Chinese tennis player Peng Shuai accused a former Chinese Vice Premier of rape, what came next was darkly predictable: the athlete disappeared from public view while the government scrubbed all mentions of her allegations and censored searches for her name. But few expected the Women’s Tennis Association to strike back, suspending all future tournaments in China and Hong Kong.
As the WTA stands up to China - leaving millions of dollars on the table - will other sports organizations follow suit and hold the government to account over its human rights abuses?
Guest: Ben Rothenberg, writer covering tennis and host of the No Challenges Remaining podcast.
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Podcast production by Mary Wilson, Danielle Hewitt, Elena Schwartz, and Carmel Delshad.
