The WTA, the body which manages the women's tennis circuit, expressed Monday its "
concern
" about the fate of Peng Shuai, the day after an interview with the Chinese player who spoke for the first time on rape charges.
"
These (public) appearances do not allay the WTA's concerns about its well-being and its ability to communicate without censorship or coercion,
" the organization said in a statement.
On November 2, a lengthy post on the player's official Weibo account (China's equivalent of Twitter) described a heartfelt but thwarted sentimental relationship with Zhang Gaoli, before and after he took on a high-ranking position at the top of the world. Communist regime.
Married and 40 years his senior, Mr. Zhang was from 2013 to 2018 one of the seven most powerful politicians in China.
The post was promptly censored and the 35-year-old had disappeared from radar screens for three weeks, causing concern in the tennis world.
I never said or wrote that anyone who sexually assaulted me
Peng shuai
For his first public address on the matter, Peng Shuai refuted any sexual assault. "
First, I want to stress a very important point: I have never said or written that anyone who sexually assaulted me
," Peng Shuai told the Singaporean newspaper "
Lianhe Zaobao
" on the sidelines of a sporting event in Shanghai Sunday. There has been "a
lot of misunderstanding
" over a "
private
" matter, added Peng Shuai, wearing a red t-shirt and black jacket, in a cell phone interview.
A reporter for a Chinese state media had previously posted a video of the player on social media.
Qingqing Chen, a reporter for the nationalist daily Global Times, tweeted a seven-second video on Sunday showing former world No. 1 doubles chatting with former basketball star Yao Ming.
The reporter claims that the video was sent to her by a friend and was shot at a Nordic skiing promotion event in Shanghai.
Chinese media in recent weeks have repeatedly published photos of the player, as well as a screenshot of an email attributed to her that says "
everything is fine
".
But their authenticity raised serious doubts.
Following the public disappearance of Peng Shuai, the WTA had canceled all its tournaments in China in early December and demanded a transparent investigation into the player's accusations.