STEVE SIMON

The women’s professional tennis tour is increasing efforts to protect players from predatory coaches and others.

Tennis, in particular, and sports, in general, can’t help but reflect society.

An explosion of new election-related legislation followed former President Donald Trump's lies about losing the 2020 presidential election due to fraud.

WTA Tour Chairman and CEO Steve Simon says he does not know when women's professional tennis events will return to China.

Before the 2020 presidential election, certifying election results was routine and generated little public attention.

In-person voting for the midterm elections has started in Minnesota, South Dakota, Virginia and Wyoming, in a landscape that has changed since the pandemic drove a shift to mail balloting in the 2020 presidential contest.

Serena Williams is famous for her 23 Grand Slam singles titles.

Longtime Wisconsin Secretary of State Doug La Follette has won his Democratic primary, advancing to a general election in which Republicans hope to win back the seat and give it power over elections.

Republicans who are running to be secretary of state in Wisconsin and Minnesota in primaries Tuesday are repeating Donald Trump’s false claims about the last presidential election and they've suggested they want more authority over how elections are run, especially in Democratic-leaning counties.

A leading Republican running for Minnesota governor has suggested that the state’s Democratic secretary of state should go to prison for his running of the state's election system, without providing any evidence that he's done anything illegal. Scott Jensen, a doctor and former state senator known for his skepticism of the COVID-19 vaccine and the state's response to the pandemic, attacked Secretary of State Steve Simon at a recent GOP district convention. “We are not voter suppressors," Jensen told the delegates.

A French journalist says his exclusive interview with Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai this week did not prove that she is OK.

Restrictions which resulted in the removal of a spectator for wearing a T-shirt supporting Chinese tennis player Peng Shuai at the Australian Open have been overhauled after international backlash.

Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai has denied saying she was sexually assaulted, despite a November social media post attributed to her that accused a former top Communist Party official of forcing her into sex.

The stand the women's professional tennis tour is taking in China over concern about Grand Slam doubles champion Peng Shuai's well-being could cost the WTA millions of dollars.

The Women's Tennis Tournament Association says it is suspending events over concerns about the safety of Peng Shaui, a Grand Slam doubles champion.

The Women's Tennis Tournament Association says it is suspending events over concerns about the safety of Peng Shaui, a Grand Slam doubles champion.

WTA Chairman Steve Simon said he is "greatly concerned" about the risks players and staff would face after the treatment of tennis star Peng, who says she was sexually assaulted by a Chinese official.

The head of the women’s professional tennis tour tells The Associated Press that the suspension of all WTA tournaments in China could extend beyond 2022.

The head of the women’s professional tennis tour announced Wednesday that all WTA tournaments would be suspended in China because of concerns about the safety of Peng Shuai, a Grand Slam doubles champion who accused a former high-ranking government official in that country of sexual assault. Peng dropped out of public view after raising the allegations about former vice premier Zhang Gaoli in a Nov. 2 social media posting that was quickly taken down by Chinese authorities. “Unfortunately, the leadership in China has not addressed this very serious issue in any credible way,” WTA Chairman and CEO Steve Simon wrote in a statement distributed by the tour.

Beijing’s embarrassment undercuts its campaign to present the Chinese system as superior to chaotic American democracy and a model for the world.

The head of the Women's Tennis Association says he remains “deeply concerned” about the whereabouts of Chinese tennis player Peng Shuai and her ability to “communicate freely, openly and directly” after allegations that a powerful politician forced her to have sex.

The Women’s Tennis Association has taken an unusually bold—and costly—stance on behalf of the tennis star against the state that censored her.

China’s Foreign Ministry confirms the tennis player’s appearance at public events, after previously maintaining it did not know about her case.

A video call between the head of the International Olympic Committee and Chinese tennis player Peng Shuai was meant to reassure the world that she was safe — but instead has raised more questions.

Peng Shuai disappeared from the public eye after making sex assault allegations against a Chinese minister.

The International Olympic Committee says missing Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai told Olympic officials in a video call from Beijing that she is safe and well.

An employee of Chinese state TV has posted photos of missing tennis star Peng Shuai online in a new effort to dispel concern about her disappearance after she accused a senior leader of sexual assault.

Some of the world’s most famous tennis players are distraught by the disappearance of colleague Peng Shuai and are challenging China’s Communist Party to get answers.

China's Foreign Ministry is sticking to its line that it isn't aware of the controversy surrounding tennis professional Peng Shuai, who disappeared after accusing a former top official of sexually assaulting her.

Shuai hasn't been heard from since making assault allegations against a top Communist Party official. The head of women's tennis is questioning the authenticity of an email purporting to be from her.

A Chinese professional tennis player not seen in public since she accused a former top government official of sexual assault purportedly sent an email claiming she was safe and that the allegation was false.

Shuai, who was once ranked No. 1 in women's doubles, accused a former Chinese state official of sexual assault.

The head of the women’s professional tennis tour is questioning the legitimacy of a retraction Chinese state media says was from a Grand Slam doubles champion who has accused a former top government official of sexual assault.

The head of the women’s professional tennis tour is calling for a full investigation of sexual assault allegations made by a two-time Grand Slam doubles champion from China against a former top government official in that country.

Election officials delivered a relatively smooth Election Day after a year of dealing with false claims and death threats.

State and local election officials are hoping for a smooth election on Tuesday to demonstrate that voting is secure and tallies are accurate.

FILE - In this Sept. 12, 2020, file photo, Naomi Osaka, of Japan, holds up the championship trophy after defeating Victoria Azarenka, of Belarus, in the women's singles final of the U.S. Open tennis tournament in New York. Osaka has been selected by The Associated Press as the Female Athlete of the Year. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)With tennis, like so much of the world, shut down because of the coronavirus pandemic, Naomi Osaka found herself with time to read and think. LeBron James was announced Saturday as the AP Male Athlete of the Year. I cannot be more excited.”___Follow Howard Fendrich on Twitter at https://twitter.com/HowardFendrich___More AP tennis: https://apnews.com/apf-Tennis and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

ROANOKE COUNTY, Va. – After more than 30 years serving the community, Roanoke County’s Fire & Rescue chief is stepping down. “It’ll be challenging for me to leave but I do think it’s a good time now,” Simon said. Simon has spent 34 years as a first responder, mostly with Roanoke County Fire & Rescue, and almost six years as chief. “It was predominantly a volunteer system but society has changed and less people choose to volunteer,” Simon said. An interim chief will be named in the coming months as the search begins for a permanent replacement.

In some states, voting early still has carried health risks. There are three lines trying to get up this way,” Howard-Penn said outside the Franklin County election board. Election officials in Wisconsin said the state's presidential primary provided lessons that were guiding current preparations. Minnesota election officials have recruited all 30,000 poll workers they believe are needed to run the general election. Officials in the battleground states reported no plans to close polling places, even if virus cases continue to spike.

In a statement, Democratic U.S. Rep. Angie Craig urged voters to mark their ballots in her race anyway. "You should continue to vote for the entire ballot, including for this congressional race. Simon said the special election would be Feb. 9. Craig hinted that a legal challenge to the special election may be getting planned. Someone could argue that the state law violates that federal law, he said.

ROANOKE COUNTY, Va. At Roanoke County Fire and Rescue, the day starts with COVID-19 conversations and ends with them. In a Zoom meeting, Chief Steve Simon said first responders are working hard to protect the community from COVID-19 while also responding to fires, water rescues and medical emergencies. I am very, very proud to say not one employee from Roanoke County, police, fire and rescue, or sheriff have been infected by the job. Now, we have had some exposures that theyve got off the job that theyve had to be quarantined, but our people treat this thing very seriously, said Simon. Chief Simon said the county has increased its social media and online presence in an effort to continue interacting with the public.