Peng Shuai: UN calls on China to prove tennis star’s whereabouts

The UN has called on Chinese authorities to give proof of the whereabouts of tennis star Peng Shuai, as the White House said it was “deeply concerned” and the Women’s Tennis Association said it was prepared to pull its tournaments out of China over the matter.

Peng, a former doubles world No 1, has not been seen in public since she accused the former high-ranking official Zhang Gaoli of sexual assault on 2 November.

“It would be important to have proof of her whereabouts and wellbeing and we would urge that there be an investigation with full transparency into her allegations of sexual assault,” Liz Throssell, a spokesperson for UN rights chief Michelle Bachelet, said in Geneva on Friday.

White House spokesperson Jen Psaki called for the Chinese government to provide “independent, verifiable proof” of Peng’s whereabouts.

Shortly after the UN call, photos purporting to show the tennis player were released by a Chinese state-affiliated journalist. Shen Shiwei revealed a set of photos, which he said were posted on Peng’s WeChat social media account on Friday. “Her friend shared the three photos and the screenshot of Peng’s WeChat moments,” the journalist wrote on Twitter. But analysts debated the authenticity of the images.

Shen has been employed by China Global Television Network, the same state media network that published the email they claim was sent by Peng to the WTA.

The release of the images follows mounting concern for Peng’s wellbeing. On Friday, the WTA said it was prepared to pull its tournaments out of China if there was not an adequate response to her sexual assault allegation against the former senior Chinese politician.

Andrea Gaudenzi, the executive chairman of the Association of Tennis Professionals, which governs men’s tennis, released a second statement further stressing concern about Peng’s welfare. “Developments in recent days in the case of Peng Shuai are deeply unsettling,” he said. “This issue is bigger than tennis, as shown by the outpouring of concern within and beyond our sport. Her safety is our most immediate concern and clarity is required on the situation. The need for verifiable direct communication with her is vital.”

Other organisations and individuals to express their concern and support for Peng’s wellbeing on Friday included tennis champions Petra Kvitová and Simona Halep, the French Tennis Federation, the Dutch Olympic Committee and Athleten Deutschland, the association of German athletes. Feminist China, a social media account documenting China’s feminist movement, has scheduled a rally for Peng in New York on Sunday.

Meanwhile, since speaking out about Peng on Tuesday, Naomi Osaka’s Weibo profile has been censored, with users unable to leave comments on her most recent post and screenshots of her Twitter post have been removed. Despite the censors, Weibo users have been leaving messages on the pages of Osaka, Serena Williams, Novak Djokovic and other players, thanking them for speaking out about their colleague.

In a lengthy 2 November post on Weibo, which was deleted half an hour later, Peng alleged that Zhang had forced her into sex after inviting her to his house to play tennis with him and his wife three years ago. She also said she and Zhang had previously had an on-off consensual relationship.

Peng also said in the post that she could provide no evidence to back her allegations, but was determined to speak out.

One of the photos released by a state-affiliated journalist. One of the photos released by the state-affiliated journalist. Photograph: @shen_shiwei, China state-affiliated media Neither Zhang nor the Chinese government have commented on Peng’s allegation and discussion of the topic has been blocked on China’s heavily censored internet.

Peng Shuai Serena Williams joins chorus of concern over whereabouts of Peng Shuai Read more Concern among the global tennis community and beyond has grown over Peng’s safety and whereabouts since her allegation, with the WTA calling for an investigation and the world’s top players tweeting #WhereIsPengShuai.

On Thursday the WTA Tour chairman and CEO, Steve Simon, went further, telling US media the WTA, which has 10 events scheduled in China for 2022 worth tens of millions of dollars, was willing to pull them.

“We are at a crossroads with our relationship with China and operating our business over there,” Simon told CNN in an interview. “We’re definitely willing to pull our business and deal with all the complications that come with it because this is certainly, this is bigger than the business.”

Simon said the WTA must demand justice and could not compromise. “Women need to be respected and not censored,” he said.

His comments were welcomed by current and former tennis players, including Billie Jean King.

Simon has said the WTA had not been able to speak to Peng, and he was very concerned for her. The threat to pull out of China followed the release of what Chinese state media claimed was an email from Peng to Simon saying everything was fine. Simon said the claim – which was accompanied by a screenshot of text – only made him more worried, and he doubted it came from Peng.

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Peng Shuai: UN calls on China to prove tennis star’s whereabouts

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