NBC
Naomi Osaka has joined a growing number of tennis players and officials asking for answers about Peng Shuai, the Chinese athlete who hasn’t been seen publicly since she made sexual assault allegations against a former top official in the Chinese Communist Party.
Earlier this month, Peng, 35, published a long social media post in which she accused Zhang Gaoli, an ex-vice premier in his 70s, of sexually assaulting her during an otherwise consensual on-off relationship while he was in office.
On Tuesday, Osaka, the Japanese former world No.1, posted a message under the hashtag #WhereIsPengShuai, which has been widely circulated on social media.
“Censorship is never OK at any cost. I hope Peng Shuai and her family are safe and OK,” Osaka wrote. “I’m in shock of the current situation and I’m sending love and light her way.”
Men’s No. 1 Novak Djokovic said Monday the situation was “shocking” and that he couldn’t “imagine just how her family feels…
