The Women's Tennis Association (WTA) has called on the Chinese government to investigate allegations of sexual assault made by professional tennis star Peng Shuai against former Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli, according to the Wall Street Journal. This call comes as the fate of 35-year-old Peng remains unknown, following her social media post on November 2, in which she accused Zhang of sexually assaulting her. The post by the former doubles champion of the French Open and Wimbledon disappeared twenty minutes after it was published. In her post, she mentioned having an intermittent relationship with Zhang, who served as Vice Premier from 2013 to 2018, noting that their relationship was sometimes consensual but at other times forced, according to her claim.
Steve Simon, the WTA President, stated in a release that what is happening with Peng is "very concerning" and urged that her allegations be taken "extremely seriously." In response, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian remarked on Monday, "I haven't heard about the issue you are talking about," and added: "This is not a diplomatic issue," without providing further comments regarding the former world number one doubles player. Meanwhile, the American newspaper reported that the State Council of China has yet to comment on the incident.
In related news, current and former tennis stars, including American Chris Evert, who has won 18 Grand Slam titles, expressed concern for Peng's situation, writing on Twitter, "These accusations are extremely troubling. I have known Peng since she was fourteen. We should all be worried; this is serious… Where is she? Is she safe? Any information about her would be appreciated."
Peng enjoys significant popularity in China, with over half a million followers on the social media platform Weibo, and state media has traditionally celebrated her victories in bringing glory to the country. Her success has also contributed to an increase in interest in tennis in China over the past decade, with the country reporting the second-largest number of tennis players in the world after the United States, according to a report published by the International Tennis Federation this year.
The WTA has enhanced its plans to expand its presence in China in recent years, having signed a 10-year agreement in 2018 to move the season-ending championship to the southern city of Shenzhen. In September, the WTA announced that the finals were relocated to Guadalajara, Mexico this year, largely due to China's strict COVID-19 pandemic policies, although the event was scheduled to return to Shenzhen from 2022 to 2030.
The Chinese government is sensitive to criticism from sports figures and has used the size of its domestic market to punish individuals and organizations it claims have "crossed the line,” as evidenced by its decision to suspend the official broadcasting of NBA games. This reaction followed Houston Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey's 2019 tweet expressing support for pro-democracy demonstrators in Hong Kong, which led Chinese sponsors to sever ties with the team. Subsequently, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver stated that Morey's tweet caused the league to incur economic losses amounting to hundreds of millions of dollars.
The MeToo movement, which emerged in China in 2018, unveiled incidents of sexual assault and harassment by Chinese university professors, business figures, and artists, but this is the first time a woman like Peng has dared to accuse a government official on social media platforms.
