Tennis
First interview with foreign reporter: Peng Shuai denies allegation of sexual assault
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The Peng Shuai controversy weighs on preparations for the Beijing Winter Games. For the first time, the Chinese tennis player is now publicly speaking – she speaks of “misunderstandings”.
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China’s tennis star Peng Shuai has denied having alleged sexual assault against a top Chinese politician. In a video interview with the Singapore newspaper “Lianhe Zaobao”, the tennis player said: “I have to emphasize one point that is extremely important: I have never said or written that someone has sexually assaulted me. I have to admit that. ” She feels misunderstood after her words.
It was the first time that Peng Shuai commented directly in front of the camera. The interview took place on Sunday on the sidelines of a cross-country skiing event in Shanghai. The former world number one in doubles had published a post on the Weibo social network at the beginning of November, which was understood as an allegation of sexual assault by former politburo member Zhang Gaoli. The post was deleted soon after. Since then, state censorship has also blocked any debate on the Chinese Internet about it.
In the video interview, Peng Shuai described her Weibo post as a “private matter.” “Many misunderstandings” may have occurred among readers, said the tennis star. In response to the post, athletes, politicians and human rights activists from all over the world expressed their concern for the tennis player’s well-being. Because the signals from China about the fate of the 35-year-olds weren’t enough, the WTA women’s tour suspended all tournaments in China and Hong Kong at the beginning of December, even though China is an important donor.
A friend sent me this video showing Chinese tennis star player Peng Shuai talked with Yao Ming, one of the most beloved players in @NBA history, this morning at an event “FIS Cross-Country Skiing China City Tour’ in Shanghai. pic.twitter.com/Ebduv5rean
— Qingqing_Chen (@qingqingparis) December 19, 2021
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“I’ve always been free”
The case also overshadows preparations for the Beijing Winter Olympics in February. The German President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Thomas Bach, came under pressure after speaking to the tennis star on video channels. He repeated on Saturday in a “sports show” interview that the IOC continued to rely on “quiet diplomacy” in her case.
Peng Shuai also emphasized in the interview that she lives unhindered in Beijing and is not under supervision: «Why should someone watch me? I’ve always been free. ” She also wrote her email to WTA boss Steve Simon from mid-November of her own free will. In it she had already emphasized that the reports about her, “including the allegation of sexual assault”, were not true and that she was fine. The letter, however, only increased the WTA’s concern.
When asked whether she wanted to travel abroad, Peng Shuai pointed out that she no longer actively plays tennis and that she currently has no intention of leaving China because of the pandemic: “What should I do out there now?” (dpa)
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