Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai has not communicated anything since she leveled sexual assault allegations against former Vice-Premier Zhang Gaoli on November 2.
Now, tennis stars from around the world, along with the WTA (World Tennis Association) Chairman Steve Simon, are raising concerns for her safety.
Who is Peng Shuai?
Peng Shuai is a former world number one (Doubles) player.
Ms. Shuai partnered with Hsieh Su-wei of Taiwan to win the Wimbledon Doubles Championship in 2013 and French Open Doubles in 2014.
She is also a semi-finalist at the 2014 US Open Singles tournament.
What happened to her?
That is the question puzzling the tennis community and beyond.
She posted a message on her Weibo account on November 2, alleging that former Vice-Premier Zhang Gaoli had sexually assaulted her years ago and that she was forced into an affair.
The post was removed in less than half an hour, and she went silent.
The visuals of an email broadcast by CGTN (China’s State Broadcaster) on November 17, purportedly sent by Peng Shuai to WTA boss Steve Simon, claiming that the assault allegations were false and that she is not missing, did little to allay fears over her safety.
Mr. Simon said in a statement that he had a hard time believing the authenticity of the email that he had received. He said that his attempts to reach Ms. Peng Shuai through different means of communication were unsuccessful. He called for her allegations to be respected and investigated with transparency.
The accusations are first of the kind to be made against such a senior leader in the Communist Party.
When asked about her issue yesterday, on November 18, the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian was dismissive of the issue. The matter does not relate to foreign relations, he said.
The global reaction
The world tennis association tweeted the question ‘Where is Peng Shuai’ a few hours ago (November 19), placing the burden of proof squarely on the Chinese authorities.
Major tennis stars from across the world have already expressed serious concerns. Former world number one singles player Naomi Osaka expressed shock at the current situation.
Another former world number one player Serena Williams said she was devastated and hoped that Ms. Peng Shuai was safe.
World number one Novak Djokovic said that he hoped that she would be found soon.
The tweets and messages go on.
Whether China reiterates its dismissive response or addresses the issue and investigates the matter remains to be seen.
Only days ago, Chinese President Xi Jinping and his US counterpart discussed human rights, amongst other issues.