Peng Shuai Announces Retirement from Tennis

The Chinese tennis player is leaving the sport.

The Chinese tennis player is leaving the sport.

Back in November, Chinese tennis player Peng Shuai suddenly disappeared from the public eye after making sexual assault allegations against former Chinese vice-premier Zhang Gaoli. This caused a major media controversy, as some were concerned Peng had been restrained by the Chinese government for what she said, though when she did reappear, she denied having made any accusations of sexual assault.

Today, despite being a well-known tennis star, Peng suddenly announced that she would be retiring from the sport during an interview with French publication L’Équipe. She also reiterated that she never made any accusations, and that she wished she could’ve stopped the media frenzy from occurring.

“I’d like to say that feelings, sports, and politics are three very distinct things. My love life problems, my personal life, must not be mingled with sports and politics,” Peng said.

As for the actual reasons she’s leaving the professional circuit, Peng cited her age, the state of her health, and the pandemic as the primary causes. “Tennis completely changed my life. It brought me joy, challenges, and so much more. Sometimes it’s hard to say goodbye and retire,” Peng said. “Even if I no longer participate in professional competitions, I will always be a tennis player.”