FOUR-TIME GRAND Slam champion Naomi Osaka said that she was in “shock” about fellow tennis star Peng Shuai, who has not been heard from since alleging that a powerful Chinese politician sexually assaulted her.
Osaka added her voice to growing concern within tennis about Peng’s fate, with men’s number one Novak Djokovic and numerous other players in recent days saying they were deeply worried about her.
The 24-year-old Osaka wrote a short statement on Twitter, where she has 1.1 million followers, accompanied by #WhereIsPengShuai — a hashtag which has been widely used on social media.
“Censorship is never ok at any cost, I hope Peng Shuai and her family are safe and ok,” the Japanese former world number one wrote.
“I’m in shock of the current situation and I’m sending love and light her way.”
Pressure is growing on Chinese authorities to clarify the status of the 35-year-old Peng, a former Wimbledon and French Open doubles champion.
Peng alleged on the Twitter-like Weibo earlier this month that former vice-premier Zhang Gaoli had “forced” her into sex during a long-term on-off relationship.
It was the first time the #MeToo movement has struck at the top echelons of China’s ruling Communist Party, but the post was swiftly deleted and nothing has been heard from Peng since.
The Women’s Tennis Association called Sunday for Peng’s claims to be “investigated fully, fairly, transparently and without censorship”.
WTA chairman Steve Simon told The New York Times that they had information that she “is safe and not under any physical threat”.
China has remained quiet about Peng and its national tennis association did not respond to AFP requests for comment.
Details of Peng’s accusations have been scrubbed from China’s heavily censored Internet.
- Originally published at 9:23am
From the group of death to the first English team to win 6 group games. NICE.
@Paul Gorry: plus shout out to them young liverpool players tonight.
@Paul Gorry: Fair play to Ajax as well. Should be a good draw on Monday.
@Paul Gorry: I hate it when you’re happy. Don’t forget about covid and the storm
@Hugh Morris: I love it when you’re sad hugh. Not forgetting how could I?
@Paul Gorry: you’re old and senile
@Hugh Morris: fair point hugh I’ll give you that one. I think.
Everton have 18 points in PL.
Liverpool have 18 points in the CL.
@kenny mcgrath: your observational skills are impeccable, may I suggest a career as a statistician?
@kenny mcgrath: Looking at those figures people might think Liverpool were the Merseyside team spending like drunken sailors on shore leave.
Well done Conor bradley making his champions League debut #UPTYRONE
Not to put a downer on Liverpool’s win be jasus I was disappointed with AC, was expecting them to really go for it especially with the Liverpool line-up but they actually couldn’t get near Liverpool for long periods of that game. They look a very average side and yet they top Serie A…
@Ottomaaan: award two assists to that goalkeeper
@Ottomaaan: Commentators on both BT & RTE made the same point. Didn’t really seem that interested till about the 85th minute. Winning Serie A their main target or manager reckoned Athletico would find a way to win?
@Ottomaaan: Kind of all reverts back to the main issue in football. Money. The CL has become a competition where only those with the strongest financial backing will win it. Gone are the days of a Porto, Ajax, Marseille or Dortmund winning it against the odds. The past 2 decades of it comfirm only City, Chelsea, Liverpool, United, Bayern, PSG (and usually Barca, Real, Juve too despite being poor now) contest the semis onwards – the commonality being big financial backing. No hate either to any side, just reality.
@Ultan Corcoran: To be fair, the teams you mentioned are always there or thereabouts with regards to the last stages of the competition and money plays a big part of that. Over the last 2 decades though, 11 of the 20 finals in question have featured teams outside of the ones you mentioned.
@Ultan Corcoran: history or finances of the clubs winning or being in the final doesn’t back your statement.
@Ultan Corcoran: maybe surpass sporting Lisbon before you start with the finances of teams ahead of you
Konate is one cool customer…class act tonite!
@Hear me now: deffo he looked huge in that defence. At the same time I love Phillips nuff said lol.
@Paul Gorry: Phillips muff?
@Paul Gorry: nothing but love for this group of players
@Hugh Morris: whaaa?
@Hear me now: Everyone of them on the same page. A joy to watch isn’t it.?
@Hear me now: Said from Day 1 he was and is the better option to buy than Upamecano. Underrated > Overrated.
@Hear me now: Jesus he was marking a 40 year old steady on!
@Philip Mckenna: That 40 year old has 6 goals in 9 games for AC at the top of Serie A
Record makers record brokers…Up the Mighty Reds…Keep it going lads!!!
The quality around Europe is dropping on previous years.
@ChadChaderson: Agreed and have done for some time now, but one has to remember the financial backing isn’t the same as it is for the top 6 odd sides in the competition.
@ChadChaderson: The Italian teams are mostly gone to feic.
I know most people in Ireland love English teams and the premier league but money is really talking here. European competitions were great before where anyone could win. Aberdeen, Malmo, Red Star, then we had an era where is was predominantly fought our between the English, Spanish, Italians and Germans. The richest leagues. Still a degree a number of teams with genuine ambitions of winning the competition though.
The English premier league is now streets ahead of the other three financially and we are starting to see that on the pitch. Of course there will be the odd maga rich continental club like PSG who may intervene from time to time but the falling away of the Spanish and Italians is not a good thing for the game. I suppose a lot of people here will hardly notice given their primary focus is who ends up champions of England.
The only blot on an otherwise perfect night was that dreadful away kit. It looks like a McDonalds outfit…