The Women’s Tennis Association called on the Chinese government to investigate allegations of sexual assault made by one of China’s most recognizable tennis stars, Peng Shuai, against a former state leader, Zhang Gaoli. She accused him of coercing her into sex at his home three years ago, according to screenshots of a since-deleted social media post of 2 November. The Women’s Tennis Association also demanded an end to censorship of the former top-ranked doubles player.
China’s internet is heavily censored, and the private lives of top leaders are an especially sensitive subject; therefore, Peng had to delete her post about half an hour later, saying that she could provide no evidence to back her allegations. Peng has not been seen since the post. Searching for her account on China’s Twitter-like Weibo platform returns no result, although the account is still accessible via a direct web link.
Her post was deleted by Chinese sensors moving swiftly to wipe out any mention of the accusation online. Her post was an open letter to Zhang where she wrote,
“ I know that someone of your eminence, Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli, you’ll say that you’re not afraid. But even if it’s just strik9ng a stone with a pebble, or a moth attacking a flame and courting self-destruction, I will tell the truth about you.
That afternoon I didn’t give my consent and couldn’t stop crying. You brought me to your house and forced me and you to have relations. I have no evidence, and it has been impossible to leave any evidence... you were always afraid that I would bring something like a tape recorder, to record evidence or something... There is no audio record, no video record, only my distorted but very real experience.
Why did you have to come back to me, took me to your home to force me to have sex with you? I couldn’t describe how disgusted I was, and how many times I asked myself am I still a human? I feel like a walking corpse.”
The CNN was not able to reach Zhang, who served on the ruling Communist Party’s seven-person Politburo Standing Committee, the country’s supreme leadership body, from 2012 to 2017. He retired as Vice Premier in 2018 and has been unapproachable and private since then.
The US-based WTA said in a statement that it would seek a ‘full, fair and transparent investigation' into sexual assault allegations against the former Chinese leader.
The WTA chairman and CEO Steve Simon said, “The recent events in China concerning a WTA player, Peng Shuai, are of deep concern. Peng Shuai, and all women, deserve to be heard, not censored. Her accusation about the conduct of a former Chinese leader involving a sexual assault must be treated with the utmost seriousness.”
The Chinese Tennis Association did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the WTA’s statement. Thus, WTA chief Simon had told the New York Times on Sunday that no one at the Tour has talked directly to Peng. However, he had received assurances from the Chinese Tennis Association that she was safe and not under any physical threat. Simon also praised Peng for her remarkable courage and strength in coming forward, saying, “ Women around the world are finding their voices so injustices can be corrected.”
The ATP Chairman said in a statement, “ Separately, we stand in full support of WTA’s call for a full, fair and transparent investigation into allegations of sexual assault against Peng Shuai.”
A former top-ranking Czech American Tennis player, Martina Navratilova, wrote on Twitter, “ a very strong stance by the WTA—and the correct stance.”
A very strong stance by WTA- and the correct stance!👏🏻👏🏼👏🏽 pic.twitter.com/Sm35uOoUDZ
— Martina Navratilova (@Martina) November 14, 2021
A prominent Chinese feminist based in New York has also shown her support for Peng Shuai and said, “ We must realize how remarkable it is for Peng Shuai to choose to speak out. Few people would have the courage to do that, because it could come at the expense of the safety of yourself and your family.”
Career Of Peng Shuai
Peng Shuai is considered one of the most recognizable tennis stars of China who began her career way back in 2001 when she was 15 years old. She was hugely successful on the doubles front, and during the course of her career, she had multiple partners, including her childhood friend, Hseih Su-Wei.
Peng underwent a heart operation at the young age of 12 and has narrated her experience during the Impossible is nothing campaign by Adidas. Over a two decades career, she had to take intermittent breaks from tennis due to injuries on the ankle, right abductor, back, and waist.
Peng Shuai has proved herself as extraordinary as she earned her merit on both the singles and doubles circuit on the WTA tour across big events. She has made her mark on the WTA tour with 23 doubles titles and two singles titles to her name and has won a gold medal at the 2010 Asian games. Her current ranking in WTA singles is 281, updated on 8 November 2021.