'We want real proof she's fine!'- Players react about Peng Shuai at Montevideo Open

Tennis players attending a WTA 125 challenger in Uruguay spoke up demanding "real proof" that China's Peng Shuai is fine, after her disappearance since she accused a former top government official of sexual assault.

Georgia's Ekaterine Gorgodze and Romania's Irina Bara attended a news conference after beating 4-6, 6-4, 10-5 China's Xiaodi You and Canada's Carol Zhao at Montevideo Open Doubles' Round of 16.

Chinese officials have said nothing publicly since the accusation about two weeks ago by Grand Slam doubles champion Peng Shuai that she was sexually assaulted by Zhang Gaoli.

The first #MeToo case to reach the political realm in China has not been reported by the domestic media and online discussion of it has been highly censored.

Steve Simon, the chairman and CEO of the Women's Tennis Association, questioned the authenticity of what Chinese state media said was an email intended for him in which Peng says she is safe and that the assault allegation is untrue.

It was posted Thursday by CGTN, the international arm of Chinese state broadcaster CCTV.

Her allegation came just three months before Beijing hosts the Winter Olympics, which have been the target of a boycott campaign from multiple human rights organizations largely over China's repression of Uyghur Muslims.

The games face a possible diplomatic boycott by the United States and other countries. Rights groups have likened Beijing's 2022 Olympics to Hitler's 1936 Berlin Olympics. China has consistently denied any human rights abuses and says its actions are part of counterterrorism programs.

Peng has played in three Olympics. The IOC said Thursday in a statement that, "We have seen the latest reports and are encouraged by assurances that she is safe."

The Switzerland-based IOC, which derives 73% of its income from selling broadcast rights and another 18% from sponsors, has not criticized China, and often repeats that it is only a sports business and has no remit to act on policies of a sovereign state.

The WTA can better afford to bring pressure since it is less dependent on income from China than the IOC or the NBA.

The basketball league lost an estimated $400 million in broadcast rights when China blacked out its games in the 2019-2020 season after then-Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey tweeted in support of protesters in Hong Kong.

The WTA Finals were held in Mexico this month because of the pandemic, with the event scheduled to return in 2022 to Shenzhen, China.

The WTA holds several tournaments in China, and the WTA Finals are scheduled there through 2030.

IMAGE: AP