The China Open is a Women's Tennis Association (WTA) 1000 tournament, the highest level on the circuit.

Chinese player Peng disappeared from public view in November 2021 following her accusation of sexual assault against the country's former vice premier Zhang Gaoli, leading to international condemnation.

In response the WTA claimed it would no longer organise tournaments in the country but the body reversed that decision in April after conceding defeat in its efforts to secure change in China.

Peng met International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach during last year's Winter Olympics in Beijing but little has been heard of her whereabouts since and many saw the meeting as staged.

The former US Open semi-finalist and two-time Grand Slam doubles champion has not been seen outside of China since making her allegation nearly two years ago. 

Fans holding banners saying "Where is Peng Shuai?" have regularly been seen at tennis events, including the Australian Open in January.

WTA chief executive Steve Simon has previously claimed that Peng is safe and that the governing body "knows where she is".

But the decision to reverse its suspension on events in China has led to criticism.

The women's China Open has not taken place since 2019 and is played on hard courts at Beijing's National Tennis Center, a venue during the 2008 Olympic Games.

Australian Open champion and US Open runner-up Aryna Sabalenka is the top seed with the Belarusian world number one playing neutrally due to the invasion of Ukraine.

She is due to start against American qualifier Sofia Kenin in round one.

Poland's world number two Iga Świątek, a four-time Grand Slam champion, is seeded second with newly-crowned US Open champion Coco Gauff of the United States seeded third.

Świątek faces Spain's Sara Sorribes Tormo in round one while Gauff has been drawn against Russian neutral Ekaterina Alexandrova.

A high-class field also includes Wimbledon champion Markéta Vondroušová of the Czech Republic and Tunisia's three-time Grand Slam runner-up Ons Jabeur.

Vondroušová will play Anhelina Kalinina of Ukraine and Jabeur will meet a qualifier. 

China's Zheng Qinwen, fresh from winning the women's singles at the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou today, is also in the draw and has been paired with Kazakhstan's fifth seed Elena Rybakina, last year's Wimbledon champion.

The tournament is due to run until October 8 alongside a second-tier men's event.

The WTA has already returned to China this month with lower-level tournaments in Guangzhou and Ningbo.