Tennis: Naomi Osaka and Novak Djokovic "shocked" by the disappearance of Peng Shuai
A file photo of China's Peng Shuai serving during a match at the Australian Open on January 15, 2019 © REUTERS / Edgar Su / File Photo
Text by: Farid Achache Follow
5 mins
Naomi Osaka posted on her Twitter account on Tuesday, November 16, a message of support for Chinese tennis player Peng Shuai, who has been missing for ten days.
The day before, Novak Djokovic had himself judged
this disappearance
"
shocking
".
The champion has not given any more news since her rape accusations against a former Chinese leader.
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Former world number 1, Naomi Osaka said she was "
shocked by the situation
" of Chinese player
Peng Shuai
, who has been missing for ten days after accusing a former top Communist leader of the country of rape. "
Censorship is never acceptable no matter what, I hope Peng Shuai and his family are healthy and doing well,
" Osaka wrote in a message posted on Twitter Tuesday, November 16, accompanied by a photo of the Chinese player. "
I am shocked by the current situation and I send him love and light on his way,
" adds the two-time winner of the US Open (2018, 2020) and the Australian Open (2019, 2021), who withdrew from the circuit for "
take a break for a while
”after his elimination in the third round at Flushing Meadows and a 2021 season disrupted by anxiety issues and“
several depressive episodes
”.
World number 1 Novak Djokovic also found the situation “
shocking
”. "
I don't have a lot of information on the subject, I heard about it a week ago and honestly, it's shocking that she disappeared
", reacted the Serbian in a press conference on Monday November 15th. after entering the victorious competition at the ATP Masters in Turin. “
There isn't much else to say. Hopefully she will be (re) found, that she is fine. It's terrible, I can just imagine how his family must be feeling
, ”he added.
The WTA, which manages the women's circuit, estimated last Sunday (rather late), in a statement from its CEO Steve Simon, that "
the recent events in China concerning a WTA player, Peng Shuai, (were) very worrying
" .
She called for a “
full, fair, transparent and uncensored investigation
”.
Chinese tennis champion
Peng Shuai
accused a former top Communist leader of coercing her into sex before making her his mistress, a charge that was censored on the internet.
Naomi Osaka added her voice to growing concern about Peng Shuai William WEST AFP
Forced sex with the former Deputy Prime Minister
On the Weibo social network, Peng Shuai, a double winner at Roland Garros in 2014, claimed on November 2 to have had forced sex with former Deputy Prime Minister Zhang Gaoli, at the latter's home in Tianjin (north ) three years ago. The testimony was promptly erased by Chinese censorship, as were reactions to the matter, which spread like wildfire. Last I heard, searches for both Peng Shuai and Zhang Gaoli were still blocked on Weibo and the Baidu search engine.
China has seen a very sanitized version of the #MeToo movement since 2018, with accusations of sexual harassment targeting song and TV stars.
So far, no politician had been implicated.
Zhang Gaoli, about 75 years old, now retired, was until early 2018 a permanent member of the Chinese Communist Party's political bureau and as such one of the seven most powerful men in China.
He is considered close to Premier Li Keqiang.
Since her statements, the player has not communicated or made a public appearance and Zhang Gaoli has never publicly reacted to these accusations.
World number one Novak Djokovic at the last US Open in New York on September 6, 2021. Ed JONES AFP / Archives
Other tennis stars keep silence on this case
The ATP, which manages the men's professional tennis circuit, said Monday, November 15, to "
closely monitor
" the situation of the Chinese player.
"
We were deeply concerned about the uncertainties about the immediate safety and the location of the player of the WTA
(women's tour, ed)
Peng Shuai.
We were relieved by recent assurances received by the WTA that it was safe, and we will continue to monitor the situation closely,
”ATP President Andrea Gaudenzi said in a statement.
“
We also strongly support the WTA's call for a full, fair and transparent investigation into the sexual violence accusations against Peng Shuai.
», Concludes Gaudenzi.
With the exception of a few, the tennis world has been fairly quiet on this matter.
It must be said that tennis and China are very closely linked in terms of trade.
The Middle Kingdom remains a huge economic player in world tennis and the sponsors have more or less strong links with this huge market where almost all rackets are manufactured.
The voices of the stars of this sport are sorely missed.
Naomi Osaka and Novak Djokovic will they be emulated?
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