Peng Shuai: Naomi Osaka joins chorus of international concern for Chinese tennis
“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,” Osaka said as part of a Twitter statement on Tuesday.
She included the hashtag #WhereIsPengShuai.
Peng, one of China’s most recognizable tennis stars, accused former Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli of coercing her into sex at his home three years ago, according to screenshots of a since-deleted social media post dated November 2.
Peng’s post on Weibo, China’s Twitter-like platform, was deleted within 30 minutes of publication, with Chinese censors moving swiftly to wipe out any mention of the accusation online.
Peng has not been seen in public since the accusation and her whereabouts have not been publicly disclosed. Her Weibo account, which has more than half a million followers, is still blocked from searchers on the platform.
A growing number of international athletes have expressed concern for Peng. Tennis legend and 39 time Grand Slam championship-winner Billie Jean King said on Twitter, “Hoping that Peng Shuai is found safe and that her accusations are fully investigated.”
And former world No.1 Chris Evert said, “these accusations are very disturbing.”
“I’ve known Peng since she was 14; we should all be concerned; this is serious; where is she? Is she safe? Any information would be appreciated,” she said in a post on Twitter.
“Peng Shuai, and all women, deserve to be heard, not censored,” Simon said. “Her accusation about the conduct of a former Chinese leader involving a sexual assault must be treated with the utmost seriousness.”
The ATP Tour, a worldwide top-tier tennis tour for men, said in a statement Monday it was “encouraged by the recent assurances received by WTA that (Peng) is safe and accounted for and will continue to monitor the situation closely.” No further details were provided as to the veracity of the assurances — or who provided them.
“Separately, we stand in full support of WTA’s call for a full, fair and transparent investigation into allegations of sexual assault against Peng Shuai,” ATP Chairman Andrea Gaudenzi said in the statement.
Zhang, 75, served on the ruling Communist Party’s seven person Politiburo Standing Committee — the country’s supreme leadership body — from 2012 to 2017 during Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s first term in power. He retired as vice premier in 2018.
In the post, which reads as an open letter to Zhang, the 35-year-old tennis star alleges a relationship over an intermittent period that spanned at least 10 years.
“Why did you have to come back to me, took me to your home to force me to have sex with you?” she wrote.
Peng said she did not have evidence to prove her allegations, and claimed Zhang was always worried that she would record things.
“I couldn’t…
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