London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 10, 2025

State media: Chinese tennis star Peng to reappear 'soon'

State media: Chinese tennis star Peng to reappear 'soon'

Influential Party-linked journalist seeks to calm Twitter storm after 'new' photos raise more questions than answers

Chinese tennis player Peng Shuai has been staying in her own home “freely” and will make a public appearance “soon”, a prominent state-media journalist said on Saturday.

The former doubles world number one has not been seen or heard from publicly since she said on social media on Nov 2 that former vice-premier Zhang Gaoli had coerced her into sex and they later had an on-off consensual relationship.

Neither Zhang nor the Chinese government have commented on her allegation. Peng’s social media post was quickly deleted and the topic has been blocked from discussion on China’s heavily censored internet.

“In the past few days, she stayed in her own home freely and she didn’t want to be disturbed. She will show up in public and participate in some activities soon,” Global Times editor-in-chief Hu Xijin wrote on Twitter.

The Global Times is published by the People’s Daily, the official newspaper of the Communist Party. Its English-language commentaries, many of them penned by Hu, are widely read for insights into what the Chinese government is thinking.

Hu said he had confirmed through his sources that photos shared on Twitter by another journalist working for Chinese state media, purportedly showing Peng at home, depicted her “current state”.

Reuters was not able to verify the authenticity of the pictures independently.

The Twitter account @shen_shiwei, labelled “Chinese state-affiliated media” by the social network, posted four undated images of Peng late Friday.

In a tweet, @shen_shiwei said the pictures, which could not be independently verified by Western news agencies, were shared on Peng’s WeChat Moments, a function often restricted to friends, to wish her followers a “good weekend”.

One photo shows the smiling player with a cat in her arms, with stuffed animals, a trophy, a Chinese flag and certificates visible in the background.

Another shot shows a selfie of Peng with a toy from the movie Kung Fu Panda, and an image of Winnie the Pooh in the background. The latter is often censored online in China as critics say Chinese leader Xi Jinping resembles the iconic character.

“If this is indeed her recent photo, I think she might be sending a hidden message to the world,” wrote one Twitter user commenting on the Pooh image.

“She needs to do a live video for anyone to believe that,” wrote another user, saying the images shown “could have been taken weeks ago”.

Requests for comment from @shen_shiwei were not immediately answered.

Twitter is blocked in China and only people with a VPN-type workaround can access it. However, many Chinese diplomats and official state media have Twitter accounts that they use to defend China’s point of view. (Story continues below)


The United States on Friday demanded proof of the 35-year-old’s whereabouts and well-being, with the United Nations also calling for a fully transparent investigation into Peng’s claims.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki had said President Joe Biden’s administration wanted China to “provide independent, verifiable proof” of Peng’s whereabouts and expressed “deep concern” about the former world top-ranked doubles player.

“It would be important to have proof of her whereabouts and well-being,” Liz Throssell, a spokeswoman for the UN Human Rights Office, told reporters in Geneva.

“We are calling for an investigation with full transparency into her allegation of sexual assault.”

Other tennis stars, sports bodies, governments and human rights defenders have added to the growing clamour for information.

China has repeatedly refused to comment on the case.

Earlier this week, state-run CGTN published a screenshot, also on Twitter, of what it said was an email written by Peng to the head and officials of the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA), the top world body for the sport.

In it, Peng claims that her earlier accusations are “not true” and says she is “resting at home and everything is fine”.

But doubts were flagged about the awkward language and the cursor visible in the screenshot.

The head of the WTA has said the organisation is willing to lose hundreds of millions of dollars worth of Chinese business in one of its biggest markets to ensure Peng’s wellbeing.

On Friday Novak Djokovic said he backed the WTA’s threat and its president “absolutely”.

“The whole tennis community needs to back her up and her family and make sure that she is safe and sound,” said the 20-time Grand Slam champion.

“If you have tournaments on Chinese soil without resolving this situation it would be a little bit strange,” he added.

Serena Williams and Naomi Osaka have also voiced their concerns for one of China’s greatest ever players.

Peng, 35, represented China in the Beijing, London and Rio de Janeiro Olympics and won gold for China at the 2010 Asian Games.

She is a former Wimbledon and French Open doubles champion.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
US Imposes New Tariffs on Brazilian Exports Amid Political Tensions
Azerbaijan and Armenia are on the brink of a historic peace deal.
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Weinstein Victim’s Lawyer Says MeToo Movement Still Strong
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
Football Mourns as Diogo Jota and Brother André Silva Laid to Rest in Portugal
Labour Expected to Withdraw Support for Special Needs Funding Model
Leaked Audio Reveals Tory Aide Defending DEI Record
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
×