“None of this is acceptable, nor can it become acceptable,” said Steve Simon, CEO of the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA), in a statement announcing the suspension of its tournaments in China, earlier this month.

That decision was made in response to the Chinese government’s treatment of tennis star Peng Shuai, who alleged she was sexually assaulted by a retired senior Chinese government official in a 2 November social media post. Her Weibo post was censored and she was not seen in public for weeks afterwards. Her subsequent appearances in videos and photos are widely believed to have been stage-managed by the authorities. Peng had two video calls with the International Olympic Committee (IOC), which was accused of staging a “publicity stunt” ahead of the 2022 Beijing Winter Games, when it asserted in statements afterwards that Peng is “safe and well”.

The WTA’s firm stance placing rights over profits is striking. For too long, too many in the business world have gone to extremes to avoid criticism of Beijing’s human rights record, lest the authorities or their proxies lash out and deny companies access to the lucrative Chinese market. The question is: will the WTA’s courageous act be a turning point for the international sports world and for business engagement with China?