Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai has resurfaced after public outcry and condemnation about her alleged disappearance for weeks.
Peng was front and centre at a Beijing tennis tournament Sunday an event sponsored by the China Open.
The 35-year-old former doubles champ is wearing a dark blue blazer as she poses with guests at the Fila Kids Junior Tennis Challenger Finals.
The photo was posted on the org’s WeChat page.
Peng Shuai showed up at the opening ceremony of a teenager tennis match final in Beijing on Sunday morning. Global Times photo reporter Cui Meng captured her at scene.
Peng had not been seen since November 2, when she accused former vice-premier Zhang Gaoli of sexually assaulting her. The 2 had an on-again-off-again relationship over the years.
The allegation had swift consequences Peng’s social media post, where she made the accusation was deleted and China’s censored media ignored the story.
What’s unclear is whether the photo is part of a staged event and is Peng being held hostage. Peng has not freely emerged and spoken since she made her allegation.
The Women’s Tennis Association has made it clear they will not play in China until Peng’s fate is clear. Members of the group are sceptical that the picture shows Peng posing of her own free will.
Peng, a two-time Grand Slam champion and former No. 1 in doubles, disappeared after making allegations of sexual assault over two weeks ago against former vice premier Zhang Gaoli, who was a member of the all-powerful Politburo Standing Committee and a lieutenant of General Secretary Xi Jinping.
China is just 2 1/2 months from hosting the Beijing Winter Olympics, which is facing a diplomatic boycott over allegations of crimes against humanity involving at least 1 million Uyghur Muslims and other ethnic minorities. NBA player Enes Kanter has been the most outspoken in defense of the Uyghurs, calling Xi a “brutal dictator.”
China’s Foreign Ministry has repeatedly disavowed any knowledge of the case. Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian told media on Friday the issue is “not a diplomatic question and I’m not aware of the situation.”
Peng wrote a lengthy social media post on Nov. 2 in which she said she was forced to have sex three years ago with Zhang. The post was quickly deleted from Peng’s verified account on Weibo, a leading Chinese social media platform. But screenshots of the explosive accusations were shared on the internet.
Athletes have been weighing in ever since Peng Disappeared
“She’s one of our tennis champions, a former world No. 1, and clearly it’s concerning. I hope she’s safe,” Federer told Sky Italia on Saturday. “The tennis family sticks together and I’ve always told my children as well that the tennis family is my second family. … I just want her to be OK and that she’s safe and that we hear something hopefully soon.”
Nadal told the French newspaper L’Equipe, “The most important thing is to find out whether she is OK. All of us in the tennis family hope to see her back with us soon.”
French tennis player Nicolas Mahut said he won’t play in China if the situation isn’t resolved, and he added that the International Olympic Committee needs to do more.
“It’s really embarrassing to not speak out. They should say something a few months before (the) Olympics in China,” Mahut said. “I hope they will do something soon.”
Players have been emboldened by the unequivocal support of the Women’s Tennis Association and its chairman and CEO Steve Simon, who has threatened to pull the WTA’s events out of China. That means almost a dozen next year, including the WTA final.
“There’s too many times in our world today when you get into issues like this that we let business, politics, money dictate what’s right and what’s wrong,” Simon said in an interview on CNN.
“And we’re definitely willing to pull our business and deal with all the complications that come with it because … this is bigger than the business.”
A statement from Wimbledon said the sport’s most prestigious tournament is “united with the rest of tennis in the need to understand that Peng Shuai is safe.”
“We have been working in support of the WTA’s efforts to establish her safety through our relationships behind the scenes,” the All England Club added.