The tennis star disappeared after she accused a former top government official of forcing her to have sex with him. She has not been seen publicly since
Peng Shuai returns a shot to Maria Sakkari during the second round of the US Open tennis championships on 29 August, 2019, in New York. AP File
Peng Shuai, the first Chinese tennis player to be ranked world No 1 in doubles by the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA), is at the centre of growing concern after the tennis sensation earlier this month alleged that a Chinese politician sexually assaulted her.
The allegation
In a lengthy social media post on 2 November on Weibo, a leading Chinese social media platform, Peng alleged that she was forced to have sex three years ago with former vice premier Zhang Gaoli. The post was quickly deleted from Peng’s verified account but screenshots of the explosive accusations were shared on the internet.
The 35-year-old disappeared after making the allegations. There has been no response from Zhang, who is in his seventies.
It is the first time that the #MeToo movement has struck at the top echelons of China’s ruling Communist Party.
How the news reached worldwide audience
Though the post was quickly deleted from Peng’s verified account on Weibo, her allegation was posted to Twitter –which is banned in China — allowing it to reach a worldwide audience.
Peng still comes up on search results online in China, but her allegations do not, and searches for her and Zhang together also show nothing.
The official response
The Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) called for Peng’s allegations to “be investigated fully, fairly, transparently and without censorship”.
WTA chairman Steve Simon said he had been told “from several sources” that Peng was safe.
The Professional Tennis Players Association has called for player solidarity to defend Peng, who is known as a fearless competitor.
“We must unite and be willing to take action unless corroborated evidence is provided to the world about Peng Shuai’s well-being,” the association said.
What tennis stars said
On Twitter, #WhereIsPengShuai began to gain traction, with tennis players past and present using the hashtag to voice concern for her safety.
Four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka wrote that she was “in shock”. “Censorship is never OK at any cost,” Osaka wrote on social media, adding the hashtag #WhereIsPengShuai.
Tennis great Serena Williams said she was “devastated and shocked”. “This must be investigated, and we must not stay silent,” Williams added
Men’s world number one Novak Djokovic said, “This is horrifying. I mean, a person is missing. The whole community, tennis community needs to back her up and her family, make sure that she’s safe and sound because if you would have tournaments on Chinese soil without resolving this situation, it would be a little bit strange.”
The political reaction
As the outcry grew over Peng’s case, White House spokesperson Jen Psaki said the Biden administration wanted China to “provide independent, verifiable proof” of Peng’s whereabouts.
Meanwhile, the United Nations also weighed in, insisting on a fully transparent investigation into her claims.
The email
China’s state-run CGTN published a screenshot on Twitter of an email it alleged was from Peng to the WTA in which she claimed her accusations were “not true” and “everything is fine”.
Doubts were quickly flagged about the awkward language and a cursor visible in the screenshot. Simon said it “only raises my concerns”.
Fresh twist
The mystery surrounding the tennis champion took a fresh twist on Friday after photos emerged purporting to show her relaxing at home, surrounded by soft toys and with a grey cat. The four undated photographs were shared by the Twitter account @shen_shiwei, labelled by the social media giant as “Chinese state-affiliated media”.
Global Times editor-in-chief Hu Xijin wrote on Twitter: “In the past few days, she stayed in her own home freely and she didn’t want to be disturbed. She will show up in public and participate in some activities soon.”
With inputs from Agencies