Earlier this month, tennis player Peng Shuai accused Zhang Gaoli, a former high-ranking Chinese government official, of sexual assault. Peng wrote, in a lengthy social media post, that Zhang had forced her to have sex despite repeated refusals.
The post was removed within 20 minutes from her verified account on Weibo, a leading Chinese social media platform, and Peng hasn’t posted on social media or been seen in public since.
Now, her safety and whereabouts have become a growing concern among her peers, fans and those at the WTA. Where is Peng, and what exactly happened? While many questions remain, here’s what we know — and don’t know — so far.
Peng is a 35-year-old Chinese tennis player and former world doubles No. 1. She has won two major doubles titles — at Wimbledon in 2013 and the French Open in 2014 — and reached the semifinals at the 2014 US Open in singles. She has earned 25 titles on tour and last played at the Qatar Open in February 2020.
What exactly did her social media post say and why was it taken down?
In the 1,500-character post, Peng gave a detailed account of her encounters with Zhang, now 75, which began a decade ago. Peng claims, in her post, she had an on-again, off-again affair with Zhang, who was married, starting before he rose up the party ranks and became vice premier.
About three years ago, after Zhang retired from his role, he invited her over to his house to play tennis with him and his wife. She said he then sexually assaulted her while his wife stood outside guarding the door.
Infidelity is strictly prohibited by the Communist Party and results in expulsion from the organization. Peng said he was concerned she might record their encounters and she therefore has no evidence to support her allegations. Despite that, she wanted to publicly voice what happened to her.
“I know that for someone of your eminence, Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli, you’ve said that you’re not afraid,” Peng wrote, according to The New York Times. “But even if it’s just…
Source : espn
