'Still A Lot Of Questions Raised': Gauff Comments On Peng's Safety Amid Return To China
WTA
US Open champion Coco Gauff has commented on the issue surrounding former doubles No. 1 Peng Shuai whose safety and well-being continue to be a trending evergreen topic.
In late 2021, Peng infamously disappeared from public view after accusing a senior political figure in her home country of sexually assaulting her. She made that stunning revelation in a post on Weibo - a Chinese social media platform equivalent to X.
The tennis world's concerted efforts, including that of WTA, to know the whereabouts of the player bore no fruit. A couple of weeks after Peng made those claims, the Chinese Tennis Association responded to WTA's inquiry that the player was safe and under no physical harm.
The WTA had serious doubts about the events surrounding Peng's safety ranging from censorship and intimidation of the player. As a consequence, it made a bold move to suspend all tennis tournaments in China indefinitely - a move that garnered widespread praise outside China.
Peng has since retreated from her initial claims when she gave her first interview to an independent media last year where she would also confirm her retirement from tennis. She said that her original statement was misunderstood and denied ever making the sexual assault allegations.
Her statement generated suspicion with many people feeling that it was an attempt to smoothen up international concerns. The WTA was never fulfilled despite lifting its suspension of tennis tournaments in China beginning in 2023.
Gauff, 19, who is competing at the China Open for the first time, has had her say on the matter. The young American believes the issue has yet to get a climactic finish, which is questions are still floating around. While commenting on her own safety, she has had no complaints thus far.
"It was a concerning situation when it happened and there’s still a lot of questions raised about that. Regarding my safety here, the hospitality that I have received so far has been really great. I’ve felt not the slightest bit of insecurity regarding my own safety but obviously, I wish Peng the best and I hope that she’s doing well."
