The head of the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) remains “deeply concerned” about the whereabouts of Chinese tennis player Peng Shuai and her ability to “communicate freely, openly and directly” after she alleged she was sexually assaulted by a former leading Communist Party official.

Peng, a three-time Olympian and former top-ranked doubles player, has dropped out of public view after her accusations against former vice-premier Zhang Gaoli in a social media post on Nov. 2, which was quickly taken down by Chinese authorities.

“[WTA chair and CEO] Steve Simon has reached out to Peng Shuai via various communication channels,” the association said in a