BEIJING – Tennis star Naomi Osaka was shocked by news that a female colleague was silenced after filing a sexual assault complaint against a former senior Chinese government official.
The Japanese, a former world No. 1 with four majors under her belt, joined those wondering where Peng Shuai is on Wednesday.
. #WhereIsPengShuai pic.twitter.com/51qcyDtzLq
— Naomi Osaka Naomi Osaka (@naomiosaka) November 16, 2021
In a post on Twitter tagged WhereIsPengShuai, Osaka wrote: “I don’t know if you have been following the news, but I was recently informed that a fellow tennis player has disappeared shortly after revealing that she was sexually abused. Censorship is never there. good at no cost. “
Osaka, 24, who has not played any WTA tournaments since losing in the third round at the US Open in September, added that she hopes China’s Peng, 35, and her family “are safe and well. “.
“I am shocked by the current situation,” she wrote. “I send you love and light.”
Other great figures in the sport, including ATP number 1 Novak Djokovic, expressed surprise at the situation, and organizers of the women’s and men’s circuits called for a full investigation into the allegations of Peng, who holds two Grand Slam titles in double.
In a lengthy social media post earlier this month, Peng recounted that former Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli forced her to have sex despite her repeated refusals. The text was removed from his verified account on Weibo, China’s largest social media platform, and local, state-controlled media has not reported on the case.
As is customary with retired Chinese officials, Zhang, 75, disappeared from public view upon his retirement in 2018 and it is unknown if he has any close professional or political relationships with the current leadership.
Peng also played three Olympic Games – Beijing 2008, London 2012 and Rio 2016 – but the International Olympic Committee has not ruled on the case. The IOC and China are organizing the Beijing Winter Olympics which will kick off on February 4.
The tennis player’s complaint was the first against a prominent government member since the #MeToo movement took hold in China in 2018 after being overwhelmed by the authorities that same year.
Asked about Peng’s accusations on Monday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said: “I have not heard of this issue and it is not a diplomatic issue.”
In another press conference on Wednesday, the spokesman said he had no knowledge of the athlete’s situation.
“Do you think the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman is omnipotent?” Zhao asked a reporter. “I suggest you ask the competent authorities about the matter in question.”
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