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Tennis star Peng Shuai disappeared after reportedly having accused retired Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli of sexual assault. On 2 November 2021, Peng posted on Weibo that she had been involved in an extramarital affair with Zhang, who had pressed her to have sex with him three years earlier, and that their relationship had recently come to an end.[1] Information about her story was censored by the Chinese government.[2][3] Afterwards, Peng disappeared from public view, showing up only in state media, by e-mail, or for interviews, and has denied making accusations of sexual assault. The incident elicited international concern over her safety, whereabouts, and ability to communicate freely, and the WTA suspended all its events in China. Peng was reportedly seen in public on a few occasions since the incident. Despite dissatisfaction with the status of the case, the WTA announced its return to the country in 2023 after it emerged from COVID-19 lockdowns.[4]
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
straitstimes-20211222was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "Peng 'must be heard' on sex abuse claim". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 19 November 2021. Retrieved 18 November 2021.
- ^ Burgess, Annika. "Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai is the latest high-profile figure to disappear. She is unlikely to be the last". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 23 November 2021.
- ^ Carayol, Tumaini (2023-04-13). "Tennis's support for Peng Shuai has turned to dust with WTA's China U-turn". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2023-04-14.