Peng Shuai t-shirt fundraiser reaches $10,000 goal as former and current players criticise Tennis Australia

T-shirts with «Where is Peng Shuai?» printed on them could be handed out en masse at the Australian Open, a day after Tennis Australia defended a decision to confiscate shirts and banners emblazoned with the message.

Peng — a two-time major champion in doubles — made allegations on social media against China's former vice-premier, Zhang Gaoli, last year and there have since been concerns for her wellbeing from across the tennis and wider sporting world.

A gofundme page set up to raise funds to print more T-shirts has reached its $10,000 goal and, according to organiser Drew Pavlou, an activist and critic of the Chinese Communist Party, every cent raised «will go towards the printing of these shirts».

Over the weekend, two activists were ejected from Melbourne Park for wearing the shirts and displaying a banner with the same message.

Chinese tennis player Peng Shuai told a Singaporean media outlet she never claimed to have been «sexually assaulted». So that means she is retracting the claim she made in her quickly deleted social media post, right? Well, turns out it's complicated.

Star players such as Naomi Osaka, as well as the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) and the International Olympic Committee, have asked questions as to the whereabouts and wellbeing of Peng.

After her social media message was posted, Peng was absent from public view for almost three weeks.

When she did appear in public again, she said that she had never accused anyone of sexually assaulting her and that the social media post had been misunderstood.

The Women's Tennis Association said Peng's appearance did not address its concerns about her wellbeing, and critics of the Chinese government have continued with calls for more information on Peng.

Tennis