Ms Peng Shuai, a two-time former Grand Slam doubles champion, has seemed to have gone missing, and her fellow tennis stars are worried about her.
On Nov 2, in a post on Chinese social media site Weibo, Ms Peng, wrote that she had been sexually assaulted by retired vice-premier Zhang Gaoli at his home in 2018.
Not only was her post erased shortly afterward, but all other mentions of her on social media have been being erased as well.
She disappeared from the public eye shortly after her Nov 2 post, leading to alarmed calls on social media over her safety.
On Wednesday (Nov 17), Chinese state media released a screenshot of an email that they claimed Ms Peng sent. In it, she denied her allegations of assault and wrote that “everything is fine.”
This did not do much to assuage people’s concerns, and the calls grew even stronger.
The US’ Serena Williams, arguably the greatest tennis player of all time, joined the voices calling for an investigation into Ms Peng’s disappearance.
“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,” she tweeted on Thursday (Nov 18).
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
Japan’s Naomi Osaka used the #whereispengshuai hashtag in a Nov 16 tweet, posting a note that read “I was recently informed of a fellow tennis player that has gone missing shortly after revealing that she has been sexually abused. Censorship is never ok at any cost, I hope Peng Shuai and her family are safe and ok. I’m in shock of the current situation and I’m sending love and light her way.”
. #WhereIsPengShuai pic.twitter.com/51qcyDtzLq
— NaomiOsaka大坂なおみ (@naomiosaka) November 16, 2021
Other tennis stars, including Novak Djokovic, Billie Jean King and Chris Evert, have also raised concerns over Ms Peng’s safety.
On Friday (Nov 19), the Women’s Tennis Association announced via its chief executive Steve Simon that it is prepared to take its tournaments out of China if there fails to be an adequate response to Ms Peng’s allegation of sexual assault.
“Women need to be respected and not censored,” Mr Simon said.
There has also been talk of boycotting the Winter Olympics in Beijing, which is only three months away.
“This is an absolutely looming disaster for the Chinese government. Every day that gets closer to the Winter Olympics, the disaster gets bigger and bigger for them — if they don’t resolve this,” CNN quotes William Nee, a research and advocacy coordinator at NGO Chinese Human Rights Defenders (CHRD), as saying.
Beijing has yet to comment on the missing tennis star. Neither has Zhang Gaoli, who is in his 70s, spoken on the matter. /TISG