CELEBRITY
‘Devastated’ Serena Williams hopes missing tennis star Peng Shuai is found quickly
Serena Williams has spoken out about the well-being of Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai, whose whereabouts became unknown two weeks after the athlete had accused a former high-ranking Chinese government official of sexual assault.
Williams took to social media Thursday to express her concern
Serena Williams has spoken out about the well-being of Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai, whose whereabouts became unknown two weeks after the athlete had accused a former high-ranking Chinese government official of sexual assault.
Williams took to social media Thursday to express her concern
© Peter Van den Berg, USA TODAY Sports Serena Williams won’t play in this year’s US Open.”I am devastated and shocked to hear about the news of my peer, Peng Shuai,” Williams, who has won 23 Grand Slam singles titles, wrote on Twitter. “I hope she is safe and found as soon as possible. This must be investigated and we must not stay silent. Sending love to her and her family during this incredibly difficult time.”
Williams’ tweet was accompanied by the trending hashtag “#whereispengshuai” and a photo of the 35-year-old world champion tennis player.
Serena Williams has spoken out about the well-being of Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai, whose whereabouts became unknown two weeks after the athlete had accused a former high-ranking Chinese government official of sexual assault.
Williams took to social media Thursday to express her concern
© Peter Van den Berg, USA TODAY Sports Serena Williams won’t play in this year’s US Open.”I am devastated and shocked to hear about the news of my peer, Peng Shuai,” Williams, who has won 23 Grand Slam singles titles, wrote on Twitter. “I hope she is safe and found as soon as possible. This must be investigated and we must not stay silent. Sending love to her and her family during this incredibly difficult time.”
Williams’ tweet was accompanied by the trending hashtag “#whereispengshuai” and a photo of the 35-year-old world champion tennis player.
“I am devastated and shocked to hear about the news of my peer, Peng Shuai. I hope she is safe and found as soon as possible. This must be investigated and we must not stay silent. Sending love to her and her family during this incredibly difficult time. #whereispengshuai pic.twitter.com/GZG3zLTSC6
— Serena Williams (@serenawilliams) November 18, 2021
In a now-deleted post, Shuai detailed her encounters with Vice Premiere Zhang Gaoli and accused Gaoli of coercing her into sex at his home three years ago. The social media account on Weibo – China’s Twitter-like platform, on which the post was made – has since been disabled.
After the release of a statement made by the World Tennis Association demanding that China respond to Shuai’s accusations, a number of prominent athletes have shown their support for finding her.
“Censorship is never OK at any cost, I hope Peng Shuai and her family are safe and OK,” tennis star Naomi Osaka wrote on Twitter Tuesday. “I’m in shock of the current situation and I’m sending love and light her way.”
Thirty-nine time Grand Slam winner Billie Jean King also took to Twitter with her concerns: “Hoping that Peng Shuai is found safe and that her accusations are fully investigated.”
Shuai is one of China’s most successful tennis stars, having won two major doubles titles – at Wimbledon in 2013 and the French Open in 2014. Shuai has also reached the US Open semifinals in singles and has earned 25 titles on tour.
Cristiano Ronaldo has become the first footballer to reach billionaire status, according to the latest Bloomberg Billionaires Index, which has valued the Portugal great’s net worth at an estimated $1.4 billion.
The 40-year-old striker’s financial ascent comes after he signed a new contract with Saudi side Al-Nassr in June reportedly worth more than $400 million.
Bloomberg said that Ronaldo earned more than $550 million in salary between 2002 and 2023, supplemented by a decade-long Nike deal worth nearly $18 million annually, and lucrative endorsements with Armani, Castrol and others that added more than $175 million to his fortune.
Ronaldo’s move to Al-Nassr from Manchester United in 2023 had already made him the highest-paid player in football history, with an annual salary of 177 million pounds ($237.52 million), plus bonuses and a reported 15% share in his Saudi Arabia club.
Argentina and Inter Miami forward Lionel Messi has earned more than $600 million in pre-tax salary during his career.
Ronaldo’s billionaire status places him among a rare group of athletes that includes basketball greats Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson and LeBron James, golfer Tiger Woods and tennis player Roger Federer.
Ronaldo suggested he is not considering retirement any time soon.
“I still have a passion for this,” he said at the Portugal Football Globes gala on Tuesday. “My family says it’s time to quit and they ask me why I want to score 1000 goals if I’ve already scored 900-something. But I don’t think that way inside.
“I’m still producing good things, I’m helping my club and the national team. Why not continue? I am sure that when I finish I will leave full because I gave everything of myself. I know I don’t have many years left to play, but the few I have left, I have to enjoy them to the fullest.”
-Reuters
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Former England soccer captain David Beckham and actor Gary Oldman were knighted in King Charles’ annual birthday honours list on Saturday, while sculptor Antony Gormley was made a Companion of Honour.
Beckham, 50, joined Manchester United as a trainee in 1993, going on to make almost 400 appearances for the club where he won a string of titles and cups.
He subsequently played for Real Madrid, LA Galaxy, and Inter Milan, as well as captaining his country 58 times and making 115 appearances.
His marriage to fashion designer and former Spice Girl Victoria Beckham in 1999 cemented a celebrity status which went far beyond his sporting exploits.
Oldman, 67, started his career on the stage, where he was a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company, before rising to prominence in film. He won the best actor Oscar for playing Winston Churchill in the 2017 drama “Darkest Hour”.
He also had roles in the “Dark Knight Trilogy” and the “Harry Potter” movie series and more recently starred in the TV spy drama “Slow Horses”.
Other famous names receiving honours included damehoods for musical theatre star Elaine Paige, novelist Pat Barker and ceramics maker Emma Bridgewater.
Roger Daltrey, lead singer of rock band the Who and a patron of the Teenage Cancer Trust, received a knighthood for services to charity.
More than 1,200 people received honours for their achievements, with a particular focus on those who had given their time to public service, the government said.
King Charles’ official birthday will be celebrated with the annual “Trooping the Colour” military parade in London on Saturday. His actual birthday is on November 14
-Reuters
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One of three judges in Diego Maradona’s closely scrutinized homicide trial in Argentina resigned on Tuesday amid a scandal triggered by the alleged filming of an unauthorised documentary, bringing uncertainty to the future of legal proceedings.
The high-profile trial over the death of soccer star Maradona began on March 11 in the South American country where the World Cup winner is still revered.
-Reuters
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