Peng Shuai was born in China but lives in London and plays at the top-ranked spot on the women’s tour, the Women’s Tennis Association. The 29-year-old won the BNP Paribas Showdown in Paris, beating No. 3 Caroline Wozniacki in a five-set thriller.
Who is Peng Shuai?
Peng’s name means “thankful” in Mandarin. She is ranked third on the Women’s Tennis Association tour. She is seven times ranked among the world’s top 100, and has two Grand Slam titles under her belt: the 2012 Australian Open doubles and the 2014 French Open singles. Peng is known for her high court game and for being a power hitter.
Why should fans care about her?
Peng, who is Chinese, has been known for playing clean tennis in a country dominated by hard-hitting men. She is not the first Chinese to be ranked No. 1 in the world. That title was held by Li Na, who is one of Peng’s best friends. But Peng is the first to hold the honor while also being the top ranked female player in the world.
Peng has won 50 of her 69 career singles and doubles matches in the past 12 months. She has won the 2018 J.P. Morgan WTA Finals in Singapore.