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Tennis: WTA says 'concerns raised' for Peng Shuai after Chinese media letter

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Agence France-Presse

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="China" s="" Shuai="" Peng="" practices="" at="" the="" Australian="" open="" Melbourne="" January="" File="" photo.="" Adnan="" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2021/reuters/11/18/tennis_shuai-peng.jpg"/><figcaption>China&#x27;s Shuai Peng practices at the Australian Open at Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia, January 13, 2019. File photo. Adnan Abidi, Reuters</figcaption></figure></div>PARIS, France -- The chairman of the WTA, which governs women&#x27;s tennis, expressed his growing concerns Wednesday for Chinese star Peng Shuai after a letter purportedly from the player appeared on state media.Peng, a former Wimbledon and French Open doubles champion, has not been heard from since alleging two weeks ago that a powerful Chinese politician sexually assaulted her.&quot;The statement released today by Chinese state media concerning Peng Shuai only raises my concerns as to her safety and whereabouts,&quot; WTA chief Steve Simon wrote in a statement.&quot;I have a hard time believing that Peng Shuai actually wrote the email we received or believes what is being attributed to her,&quot; he added.State-run CGTN published an email Wednesday attributed to Peng, which the player allegedly sent to WTA officials. Peng, 35, alleged on the Twitter-like Weibo earlier this month that former vice-premier Zhang Gaoli had &quot;forced&quot; her into sex during a long-term on-off relationship.&quot;Peng Shuai displayed incredible courage in describing an allegation of sexual assault against a former top official in the Chinese government,&quot; said Simon.He called for &quot;independent and verifiable proof that she is safe&quot;.&quot;I have repeatedly tried to reach her via numerous forms of communication, to no avail,&quot; said Simon, adding that Peng &quot;must be allowed to speak freely, without coercion or intimidation&quot;.Details of Peng&#x27;s reported accusations remain scrubbed from China&#x27;s Internet.The post appeared to have been deleted quickly and AFP was unable to verify the authenticity of the screenshots containing the allegation, or substantiate the claims made in them. Four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka said that she was in &quot;shock&quot; about Peng, with Novak Djokovic and numerous other players in recent days saying they were deeply worried about her.The WTA urged Sunday for Peng&#x27;s claims to be &quot;investigated fully, fairly, transparently and without censorship&quot;.Chinese officials have remained quiet about Peng and its national tennis association did not respond to AFP requests for comment.<div>© Agence France-Presse</div>

The chairman of the WTA, which governs women's tennis, expressed his growing concerns Wednesday for Chinese star Peng Shuai.