It is 1:36 am in China when the supposed all-clear comes: “Hello everyone this is Peng Shuai”, begins the message published by the Chinese state television on Twitter.
For days, tennis players and well-known representatives of this sport around the world have been worried about the former Chinese fourteenth in the individual world rankings. No one had heard from her after a post appeared on Peng’s profile on the Chinese short message service Weibo on November 2, in which she allegedly accused former Vice Prime Minister Zhang Gaoli, one of the most powerful men in China, of previously harassing her sexually and against her will and having abused.
The post was deleted after half an hour. Anyone who has searched for their name since then receives an error message, even terms such as “tennis” cannot currently be entered in the search engines. Not a word in the newspapers, just this one message now, written in English: “The news in this release, including allegations of sexual assault, is not true,” it says. “I am neither missed nor in an unsafe position. I rested at home and everything is fine.” The text ends with sentences that sound like pure China propaganda. “I hope I can promote Chinese tennis with all of you when I have the chance in the future. I hope Chinese tennis gets better and better.”
Steve Simon reacts immediately to the alleged email – and contradicts
Did Peng Shuai really write that himself? Why is state television broadcasting this news? Why is there a cursor in the third line of the screenshot, as if you had written the text yourself in no time at all? And the tone of voice: Isn’t Peng Shuai actually teaching the world with her lines? How likely is that after everyone is extremely worried about her?
Steve Simon, in any case, did not want to believe the authenticity of the writing in any way. High-ranking functionaries of global associations or organizations are often accused of acting too slowly, too cautiously, too tactically. In this case, the President of the WTA, the association of professional tennis players and umbrella of the WTA Tour, reacted quickly. After Peng’s alleged sign of life became known, he countered in a message: “I find it difficult to believe that Peng Shuai actually wrote this email that we received.”
He concluded: “The statement about Peng Shuai published by Chinese state media only increases my concerns about her safety and whereabouts.” This is still not known to him, the top WTA person, as he made clear with a further appeal: “The WTA and the rest of the world need independent and verifiable proof that they are safe. I have repeatedly on numerous forms of Communication tries to reach you, unsuccessfully. ” Simon went on to emphasize: “Peng Shuai must be allowed to speak freely, without coercion or intimidation of any origin.”
Speaking freely – the 35-year-old athlete, who was number one in the double world rankings for 20 weeks and won the Grand Slam titles at Wimbledon and at the French Open with Taiwanese Hsieh Su-wei, apparently only had this opportunity Minutes. In the time when she opened her soul on Weibo. In her long message on November 2, Peng explained quite credibly how she had initially had an affair with Zhang Gaoli when he was still party secretary in the port city of Tianjin, the hometown of Peng Shuai. “Our affections had nothing to do with money or power,” she wrote. When Zhang was promoted to the highest ranks in China, the Politburo Standing Committee, the relationship ended abruptly. Only after his retirement did he suddenly get in touch again.
Zhang and his wife Kang Jie invited them to play tennis in a Beijing hotel. Then she drove to Zhang’s house. “Then you took me to your room. Like ten years ago in Tianjin, you wanted to have sex with me,” she wrote. Somebody stood guard in front of the door. “I didn’t agree that afternoon and cried the whole time.” In China itself, after the post was deleted, the topic does not exist. “Me Too” allegations in the very highest ranks in the country? Obviously that shouldn’t exist.
The first calls are being made to suspend the WTA’s business relationship with China for the time being
Meanwhile, solidarity with the missing Peng is growing. Most of the major Western media have now reported on them, including the American news channel CNN. At the ATP Finals in Turin, the men’s end-of-year tournament, world number one Novak Djokovic was asked about the case. “It’s shocking that she disappeared, even more that it’s someone I’ve seen on the tour a few times over the past few years,” said the Serbian. “I hope that she is found, that she is fine. It’s terrible. I can imagine how your family will feel that she is missing.”
Most of the sympathy came from social media, especially the Twitter platform. Naomi Osaka, who has long dominated the women’s tour and has long been a highly regarded, socially critical voice, also addressed her 1.1 million followers and said: “I am shocked by the current situation and I am sending her love and light.” Many professionals published a photo of Peng, which a user prepared professionally and made available for reproduction. It shows a smiling Peng with the hashtag #WhereIsPengShuai, which has long been known worldwide.
Jamie Hampton, 31, a former professional player, tweeted: “Suspend your contracts with China until you have visibly confirmed on a livestream that Peng Shuai is physically fine.” The American addressed a sensitive issue: the economic dependence of the WTA Tour on China. Eleven tournaments alone take place there, including the season finale, the WTA Finals (which this time were held in Guadalajara, Mexico, due to the pandemic).
In addition to the human drama that takes place around Peng Shuai, Simon also has to moderate the business relationship with the powerful partner, who is said to have promised up to a billion dollars over ten years. He is not afraid of confrontation: “If at the end of the day we don’t get adequate results (In the case of Peng Shuai, editor’s note) “, said Simon in his first statement on Sunday,” we would be prepared to take this step and not do our business in China “.