Pressure is mounting on China to confirm the safety of star player Peng Shuai amid fears she is missing

With widespread scepticism over an email from missing Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai, the tennis community has come out hard for authorities to find her.

Tennis great Serena Williams has joined the worldwide chorus fearing for the safety of missing Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai after officials discredited an email purporting to be from the former world number one declaring she was safe.

Pressure is mounting on Chinese authorities to clarify the status of 35-year-old Peng, a former Wimbledon and French Open doubles champion who has not been seen since she alleged on the Twitter-like Weibo service earlier this month that former vice-premier Zhang Gaoli had “forced” her into sex during a long-term on-off relationship.

The post was swiftly deleted and nothing has been heard from Peng since, apart from an email purporting to be written by the first former doubles world No.1 was released this week suggesting she was “resting at home”.

“Hello everyone this is Peng Shuai,” the statement read.

“Regarding the recent news released on the official website of the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA), the content has not been confirmed or verified by myself and it was released without my consent.

“I’m not missing, nor am I ­unsafe. I’ve just been resting at home and everything is fine. Thank you for caring about me.

“I hope to promote Chinese tennis with you all if I have the chance in the future. I hope Chinese tennis will become better and better.”

I am devastated and shocked to hear about the news of my peer, Peng Shuai. I hope she is safe and found as soon as possible. This must be investigated and we must not stay silent. Sending love to her and her family during this incredibly difficult time. #whereispengshuaipic.twitter.com/GZG3zLTSC6

— Serena Williams (@serenawilliams) November 18, 2021

But tennis officials have cast extreme doubt over the voracity of that message with WTA chief Steve Simon having failed to receive any response in his own attempts to contact Peng.

“I have a hard time believing that Peng Shuai actually wrote the email we received,” he said.

“The WTA and the rest of the world need independent and verifiable proof that she is safe. I have repeatedly tried to reach her via numerous forms of communications to no avail.

“Peng Shuai must be allowed to speak freely, without coercion or intimidation from any source. Her allegation of sexual assault must be respected, investigated with full transparency and without censorship.”

The WTA’s social media accounts have amplified the viral #WhereIsPengShuai movement on Thursday, with numerous tennis players and coaches also sharing an image of Shuai.

Simon has since threatened to pull tournaments from China unless satisfactory evidence of her safety is issued soon.

“If at the end of the day we don’t see the appropriate results from this, we would be prepared to take that step and not operate our business in China, if that’s what it came to,” Simon told the New York Times.

Williams, the 23-time Grand Slam champion, said she was “devastated” to hear the news about Peng and called for an investigation.

“I hope she is safe and found as soon as possible. This must be investigated and we must not stay silent.” Williams wrote on Twitter.

Four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka also said she was in “shock” about the situation.

“Censorship is never ok at any cost, I hope Peng Shuai and her family are safe and ok,” the Japanese former world number one wrote for her 1.1 million Twitter followers.

“I’m in shock of the current situation and I’m sending love and light her way.”

. #WhereIsPengShuaipic.twitter.com/51qcyDtzLq

— NaomiOsaka大坂なおみ (@naomiosaka) November 16, 2021

World men’s No.1 Novak Djokovic said it was “shocking that she’s missing”.

“It’s just terrible … I can’t imagine how her family feels,” he said.

China has so far refused to ­acknowledge Peng’s allegations of sexual assault or say if they are being ­investigated. Chinese media has not reported the allegations.