When Peng Shuai was a young tennis player in China's national sports system, he fought the authorities for control of his own professional career - and he won.When he filed a sexual harassment complaint against three powerful Chinese men three weeks ago, he found his voice muted, removed from China's vastly controlled cyberspace and intended to appease the awkward public, which could turn into an international scandal.
At 35, Peng is one of the most recognized athletes in his country, the Wimbledon and French Open doubles champion who was once called "our Chinese princess" by the state media. If anyone is able to go through the country’s ice resistance against the #MeToo allegation, it will look like someone like him.
Instead, she has become another example of China's iron will in politics, society and sports, and a lesson in the struggle of brave women to challenge Beijing - even with a history of winning praise from the state.
His allegations first entered the Standing Committee of the Politburo, the highest peak of China's power. It was an act of courage and perhaps despair that shocked him inside China as a result of an aggressive response.
"Peng has always been a strong man," said Terry Rhodes, managing director of Zho Sports, a Shanghai-based talent management company that represented him for a decade until 2014. Or he has authority over tennis. "
Over the weekend, state media created a series of photographs and videos to show that Peng was continuing as if nothing had happened.
The only thing missing from the recent jolt of coverage was his own voice, which was once powerful enough to force the authorities to lean towards his determination to control his own fate.
The photos contradict his own description of his relationship and abuse with "A Moth Running on Fire" three weeks ago - to "tell the truth" to former vice-premier Zhang Gaoli. He said he was assaulted about three years ago.
"Authorities have never liked feminists or #MeToo," said Lijia Zhang, author of "Lotus," a novel depicting prostitution in China. Those who "dared to speak out" have been silenced, he said.
Less than three months before the Beijing Winter Olympics, a #WhereisPengShuai campaign was launched, an event that signaled to the country's leadership that it would legitimize the Communist Party's rule. Peng's response to the allegations has only sparked criticism, with shots fired at those calling for a boycott.
"These pictures and videos can only prove that Peng Shuai is alive, but nothing else. They cannot prove that Peng Shuai is free," said Teng Biao, one of China's leading civil rights lawyers, by telephone from his home in New Jersey. .
Chinese women have long struggled to find agencies in the country, with many activists saying the situation has worsened since Xi Jinping came to power almost a decade ago.
Peng built a professional tennis career that meant taking in officials with whom he could train, trying to determine which tournament he could play and how much money he could keep for himself.
When it comes to allegations of sexual misconduct, however, the state has proven to be more resistant to change. The moment Peng posted his #MeToo complaint, Teng said, "He was only protected by law and it was all politics that determined his fate."
Born in the city of Jiangtan, where his father was a police officer, Peng was introduced to tennis by an uncle when he was 8 years old.
"They thought I'd quit tennis," he said in a 2008 adidas ad, "but surprisingly, I didn't give up. Maybe I decided to have this operation because I love tennis."
After surgery, he was sent to Tianjin, where he was made into a Chinese Soviet-style sports machine, specifically designed to knock out international competitors for the Olympics. He finally competed in the Olympics three times, starting in 2008 in Beijing.
In the mid-2000s, Peng decided that he was no longer willing to give more than half of his earnings to the state. He and three Chinese players decided to go out of state control, threatening to effectively shut down the game.
When he decided to "fly alone" in 2005, as the Chinese say, a sports official criticized him for leaving his "motherland" and being too selfish.
"She thought she was Sharapova?" The official referred to the Russian player who had been the number one player in women's tennis for some time.
Although he has inherited a sports tradition for decades, Peng knew how to play with the desire to show off China's top athletes. Tianjin tennis team head coach,
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