WTA CEO and U.N. take a stand over Peng Shuai’s disappearance

WTA CEO and U.N. take a stand over the disturbing situation of Peng Shuai’s disappearance.

The United Nations is the latest to call for answers on the whereabouts of tennis star Peng Shuai, after she posted Nov. 2 on Weibo (Chinese Twitter) about being sexually abused by Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli at his home. The post was swiftly taken down and all information about Shuai has been censored in China, including blocking anything about her on CNN in the country (and any links to her Weibo account).

Shuai, a former top 20 player (No. 14), a two-time doubles grand slam winner, and a very popular player on the Tour, has not been heard from since. Here is a link to her original, since-deleted post, so you can read it in her own brave words.

“What we would say is that it would be important to have proof of her whereabouts and wellbeing, and we would urge that there be an investigation with full transparency into her allegations of sexual assault,” Liz Throssell, the spokesperson of the UN Human Rights office, said to reporters in Geneva on Friday, according to CNN.

Chinese funding sponsors several of the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) events, but that hasn’t stopped the WTA from risking losing all that endorsement to take the right stand on what is a deeply concerning situation.

“We’re definitely willing to pull our business and deal with all the complications that come with it,” WTA CEO Steve Simon said in an interview Thursday with CNN. “Because this is certainly, this is bigger than the business,” added Simon.

“Women need to be respected and not censored,” Simon stated further.

#whereisPengShuai permeated Twitter the last few days, with several peers in the tennis and sports world echoing huge support for the tennis player, including Serena Williams, Andy Murray, Naomi Osaka, Billie Jean King, among many, many others.

https://twitter.com/andy_murray/status/1461606490444378121

The White House Press Secretary, Jen Psaki, also weighed in, after being questioned about Shuai’s status and whether or not the U.S. should be sending athletes to next year’s Beijing Games (let’s hope not, until she is found). There has been a growing call for boycotting the winter games for other human rights violations as well. President Biden has said he is considering a “diplomatic boycott” for several reasons.

Since Shuai has gone MIA, there have been communications claimed to have come from her, where she has recanted what she posted, stating that “everything is fine,” with suspiciously similar language from other former dissidents’ statements.

“I believe the ATP should come out alongside and show their solidarity with the women’s tour and say: ‘if we don’t get the answers and guarantee of her security and so on, we’re out too,’” Patrick McEnroe said during an interview with Fox News (the ATP has since posted their support).

Human Rights Watch issued a statement where it questioned why the IOC was being “silent on the Olympian’s disappearance,” and that it is “astonishing that the IOC would accept the government’s assurances, particularly at the expense of a female Olympian making grave allegations.”

One thing’s for certain, we need to hear from Peng Shuai soon.