Experts have questioned the authenticity of newly released photos that appear to show missing tennis star Peng Shuai smiling as she poses for the camera behind a sea of children's toys.
Three photographs posted online by a reporter working with CGTN, the international wing of China's state broadcaster, purportedly show the 35-year-old tennis ace posing with a grey cat while surrounded by a bed of soft toys.
Shen Shiwei, the man who shared the pictures to Twitter on Friday, said the images had ben posted on Shuai's WeChat messenger, but experts have continued to express doubts over the veracity of the pictures.
Fears continue to mount for Shuai, once ranked as the top female double's player in the world, who has not been seen since accusing the country's former vice premier of rape on November 2.
Friday marked the second time in as many days that the Chinese-state broadcaster attempted to alleviate concern over the missing tennis star, after sharing an email claiming to have been written Shuai in which she said she was 'resting at home'.
Andy Murray and Serena Williams have become the latest high-profile names to join the campaign to find missing tennis star Peng Shuai in the wake of her sexual assault allegations.
Fears continue to mount for Peng Shuai, once ranked as the top female double's player in the world, who has not been seen since accusing the country's former vice premier of rape on November 2.
Three photographs posted online by a reporter working with CGTN, the international wing of China's state broadcaster, purportedly show the 35-year-old tennis ace posing with a grey cat while surrounded by a bed of soft toys
Shen Shiwei, the man who shared the pictures to Twitter on Friday, said the images had ben posted on Shuai's WeChat messenger, but experts have continued to express doubts over the veracity of the pictures
As news broke of the pictures being shared online, internet sleuths also raised questions over the fact that a framed picture of Winnie the Pooh - a character banned in China - appeared in the background.
The former doubles world No 1 has not been seen or heard from publicly since she said on Chinese social media in early November that former vice-premier Zhang Gaoli coerced her into sex three years ago, and that they had had an on-off relationship.
The post was quickly deleted from her verified account on Weibo, a leading Chinese social media platform, but screenshots of the explosive accusation quickly spread despite the topic being blocked from discussion on China's heavily censored internet.
Peng Shuai, 35, a Chinese tennis star, has not been seen since November 2 when she posted on social media accusing a senior Communist official of sexual abuse
Serena Williams also took to her own social media and received well over 24,000 retweets
Naomi Osaka used the hashtag #WhereIsPengShuai as she expressed her 'shock' on Twitter
Andy Murray has now joined the search for the former world No 1 doubles player Peng
23-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams, 40, publicly called on the authorities to launch an investigation into Shuai's disappearance and urged those involved to 'not stay silent'.
Andy Murray then weighed in on the uncomfortable situation
