The World Women’s Professional Tennis (WTA) cannot resume the tournament in China until it directly confirms the safety of tennis star Peng Shuai (彭帥, 38), who exposed the damage of sexual assault to China’s top officials. announced on the 5th (local time).
According to the BBC, the WTA said in a statement that day, “We have been confirmed that Feng Shuai is safe and comfortable, but we have not yet been able to meet him face-to-face.”
The WTA emphasized, “There is no change in our position regarding the resumption of the tour in China, and only the schedule until the US Open (to be held in August) has been confirmed.”
The WTA, the world’s leading women’s professional tennis organization, publicly supported him in November 2021 right after the “Me Too” suspicion that Feng had been sexually assaulted by Zhang Gaoli (77).
In December of the same year, it was announced that the holding of tour events in China would be completely suspended until the suspicions were cleared.
On this day, the WTA repeatedly urged, “We will not compromise our founding principles to hold the tournament in China,” and “an official investigation should be conducted into the allegations he raised.”
The BBC explained that if the WTA does not hold the tournament in China again this year, it could lose millions of dollars in broadcasting rights and sponsor contract revenue.
Peng Shuai, the 2013 Wimbledon doubles winner and once ranked No. 1 in the doubles world rankings, claimed on social media Weibo in November 2021 that she had an unwanted sexual relationship with the former deputy prime minister.
The post was deleted within minutes of being posted, and rumors that he was missing spread around the world.토토
In an interview with French sports media L’Equipe at a hotel in Beijing, China, where the Winter Olympics were held in February 2022, Peng Shuiyi reversed his stance and said, “No one has ever said that I was raped in any way, I have never disappeared.” said the doctor.
After that, he did not appear in public for nearly a year.
The reporter who interviewed Peng Shuiyu pointed out that the conversation took place in a highly controlled environment at the time, and that “the interview does not prove Peng Shuiyu’s safety.” .