More than three years have passed since former Chinese doubles No. 1 Peng Shuai made global headlines with a shocking accusation against a high-ranking Communist Party official. In a since-deleted Weibo post from November 2021, the tennis star alleged that Zhang Gaoli, a former vice premier of China, had coerced her into a sexual act. Almost immediately, her statement disappeared from the internet, and so did she.
International outcry followed. Human rights organizations, the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA), and governments around the world demanded proof of Peng’s safety.