‘Peng Shuai, we are waiting for you’ – Slam champion invites star to event
With Peng Shuai still missing from public view, a fellow multi-Slam winner has invited her to present the trophy at an upcoming tournament.
While the IOC has somewhat assured those in the tennis world that Peng Shuai is physically safe via their video calls with the star, she has still not had any direct contact with another organisation or individual outside of China.
Now, in an attempt to bring continued awareness to Peng Shuai’s uncertain situation, five-time Major winner Nicolas Mahut has publicly invited the two-time Slam champion to attend the Open Angers Arena Loire.
“Hello, it’s Nicolas Mahut,” the Frenchman begins in a video released by the tournament’s Twitter account.
“I am tournament director of the WTA 125 Open P2i Angers Arena Loire.
“Everything is going well for this fist edition, but one particular player is missing, Peng Shuai.
“You are not on the court this week, so i would like to invite you to deliver the trophy to our winner on Sunday, in my city.
“Peng Shuai, we are waiting for you.”
The video then ends with the title card #WaitingForPengShuai.
The tournament tagged the WTA, ATP, ITF and FFT (French Tennis Federation) in the tweet also.
Ici, ou ailleurs.#WaitingForPengShuai@WTA @atptour @ITFTennis @FFTennis pic.twitter.com/Z2m5WaNDD4
— Open P2i Angers Arena Loire (@LoireOpen) December 9, 2021
Competitors at the WTA 125 event, which is in the tier just below the WTA tour, include former world number two Vera Zvonareva and compatriot and former doubles partner to Peng Shuai, Zhang Shuai.
Zhang is now out of the event, but another Chinese player, Yue Yuan, has reached the quarter-finals.
While an appearance form Peng Shuai at the Angers event is highly unlikely, the move from Mahut does prompt further attention on the case.
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