This January 18, during the Australian Open press conference, French player Alizé Cornet shared some news about the previously missing Peng Shuai.
During a press conference, tennis player Alizé Cornet shared some news about Peng Shuai. As a reminder, the Chinese-born tennis player was previously missing. A strange absence since the latter had vanished for several weeks after having shared on the Weibo social network to have been a victim of rape by former Chinese Premier Zhang Gaoli.
Facing the journalists present in Melbourne, the French player – qualified for the 2nd round – shared some news about her friend. “I know from a reliable source that she is not in physical danger. I’m worried about what will become of her, how will she evolve after that? When will she be truly free?“, she said, before adding: “Therefore we will say that she is not in danger for her life. And I want to say given the circumstances, it’s almost already reassuring. We must not let go either and remain united in one way or another..”
Chinese tennis player Peng Shuai emphasized in an interview with Lianhe Zaobao yesterday (December 19) that she never said that anyone sexually assaulted her, and stated that her earlier letter to the president of the International Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) was “completely out of my own will,” and he “has always been free”. https://t.co/qRS01Qc7sn
— Lianhe Zaobao (@zaobaosg) December 20, 2021
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A contradictory speech
Last December, Peng Shuai returned to the Web. Through a video relayed by the Singaporean newspaper Lianhe Zaobao – a media close to Chinese power – the 35-year-old player had denied any sexual assault. “First of all, I need to stress a very important point, I never said or wrote that someone sexually assaulted me”, she had first explained, then mentioning that this story “private” had “a lot of misunderstandings“.
A return which had however greatly worried the association of tennis players (WTA) of which she is a part. “These appearances [publiques] do not alleviate the WTA’s concerns about its well-being and ability to communicate without censorship or coercion“, could we read in a press release.
Photo credits: Alterphotos / Panoramic / Bestimage
