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CHINA OPEN

October 5, 2017

Peng Shuai

Beijing, China

J. OSTAPENKO/Peng S.

3-0 (ret.)

THE MODERATOR: Questions in Chinese.

Q. We are very concerned about your retirement. Many fans are very worried about your health. How is your knee?
PENG SHUAI: It was fine. But maybe recently there were ups and downs and several matches in a row that stressed it. I have to visit Germany frequently to have injections.

After the season, I hope to stay in Germany for medical treatment and rest for a prolonged period. Some of the soft tissue has a seven- to eight-millimeter gap, so it's wider than before. The doctor suggested I should take a period of rest and get it treated, but I can only rest after the season. That's the plan.

Q. You might have an opportunity to make the Finals. Are you going to attend the Tianjin Open or Russia?
PENG SHUAI: I haven't registered for Russia because the registration closed six weeks before the tournament. I will go to Tianjin. The Tianjin Open will be the last tournament I have entered.

Q. The knee injury compared with the surgery you did before Wimbledon, are they related?
PENG SHUAI: Well, I was operated on the back before Wimbledon.

Q. The knee is a new problem?
PENG SHUAI: I had the back operation two years ago. I had two back operations, first on the nerves, and second was along the spinal cord, lumbar spine. For the spinal cord, there are internal and external nerves. For the internal nerves, it's not able to be repaired medically.

My injury was on the external side. Some of the treatment was actually used on people with paralysis. Sometimes I couldn't really move part of the muscles because of the operation.

The knee, the issue has been there for six to seven years, but it didn't cause problems for me playing before that. At Nanchang, the knee injury occurred. It was when I put pressure on the left side.

Now, back in Toronto, the pain was intolerable. I retired from doubles there and flew to Germany. I got two injections to lessen the pain so I could tolerate it. But after that I didn't get any rest.

After the US Open, I had another three injections, but I couldn't rest in between. I kept playing.

Q. So you are going to rest after the next tournament?
PENG SHUAI: No, I didn't say I'm going to rest. I just said I'm going to finish the season. I won't retire from tomorrow's doubles. I told Sania I'm not going to retire from doubles. For doubles, I don't run as much as in singles. After one to two days of rest, it could be better, yes. Thank you.

Q. Before the tournament you mentioned you plan to play in 2020, but the tour is difficult. How are you going to prepare yourself physically and mentally to play until 2020?
PENG SHUAI: To play until 2020, it's not in singles. I think that was clear. I think doubles is a more likely career for me to play until 2020. I can still stay in form.

I want to compete. I don't want to just participate, to be there. That's the expectation. It's not an obligation I have to fulfill. How should I say, it's not something I have to meet.

Last year I wanted to make it into the top 100. If you set a goal, you want to achieve the goal, then try the next step. But there are things beyond my control. I don't know what's going to happen next year. Maybe I can keep playing until 2020.

When you set a target, of course you will set a positive target. For the Olympic Games, it's special. I had good results in doubles. In the London Olympic Games, I was really close to winning a medal. If I have the opportunity, I would like to give it a try.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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