Peng Shuai

Peng Shuai
彭帅
Country (sports) China
ResidenceTianjin and Beijing, China
Born (1986-01-08) 8 January 1986 (age 38)
Xiangtan, Hunan, China
Height1.77 m (5 ft 10 in)
Turned pro2001
Retired2022
PlaysRight-handed (two-handed both sides)
CoachCarlos Rodríguez
Prize moneyUS$ 9,617,653
Singles
Career record497–323
Career titles2
Highest rankingNo. 14 (22 August 2011)
Grand Slam singles results
Australian Open4R (2011, 2015)
French Open3R (2011, 2012)
Wimbledon4R (2011, 2012, 2014)
US OpenSF (2014)
Doubles
Career record341–203
Career titles23
Highest rankingNo. 1 (17 February 2014)
Grand Slam doubles results
Australian OpenF (2017)
French OpenW (2014)
WimbledonW (2013)
US OpenSF (2017)
Other doubles tournaments
Tour FinalsW (2013)
Team competitions
Fed Cup17–9
Medal record
Asian Games
Gold medal – first place 2010 Guangzhou Team
Gold medal – first place 2010 Guangzhou Singles
Bronze medal – third place 2010 Guangzhou Doubles
Peng Shuai
Traditional Chinese彭帥
Simplified Chinese彭帅
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinPéng Shuài
IPA[pʰə̌ŋ ʂwâɪ]

Peng Shuai (Chinese: 彭帅; pinyin: Péng Shuài; Mandarin pronunciation: [pʰə̌ŋ ʂwâɪ] ; born 8 January 1986) is a Chinese former professional tennis player. In February 2014, she was ranked as the world No. 1 doubles player by the Women's Tennis Association (WTA), becoming the first Chinese tennis player to achieve that ranking in any discipline.[1] She peaked at No. 14 of the singles rankings in August 2011, and won two singles and 23 doubles titles on the WTA Tour.

Peng won a gold medal at the 2010 Asian Games, defeating Akgul Amanmuradova in the singles final. At the 2013 Wimbledon Championships, Peng won her first major title, in women's doubles with Hsieh Su-wei. She also won the women's doubles title at the 2014 French Open with Hsieh. Her best performance at a major in singles came at the 2014 US Open where she reached the semifinals, becoming the third Chinese tennis player in history to reach a major semifinal after Zheng Jie and Li Na.

Peng was known for playing with two hands on both sides and hitting very flat. She defeated many top-10 and top-5 players, including Kim Clijsters, Martina Hingis, Amélie Mauresmo, Anastasia Myskina, Elena Dementieva, Francesca Schiavone, Jelena Janković, Agnieszka Radwańska, Marion Bartoli, and Vera Zvonareva.

In November 2021, in what was suspected to be a forced disappearance, Peng disappeared from public after making a post on Weibo. It detailed a long-term affair involving Zhang Gaoli, a retired Chinese Vice Premier, who was reportedly accused of raping her. The news became widely censored in China. International concerns for Peng grew, and the WTA suspended all its events in the country. Peng has made limited public appearances since the incident and announced her retirement from professional tennis. Although unsatisfied with the case, the WTA announced that it would return to China in 2023.

  1. ^ Keating, Steve (27 August 2014). "Pioneering Peng carries Chinese torch in Li's absence". Reuters. Archived from the original on 5 February 2016. Retrieved 20 September 2014.