T-shirts with "Where is Peng Shuai?" printed on them could be handed out en masse at the Australian Open, with organisers raising thousands of dollars a day after Tennis Australia confiscated 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".
"We're printing 1,000 t-shirts and we can see how many match-goers that they can stop," activist Max Mok told ABC Radio.
Over the weekend, Mok and others were ejected from Melbourne Park over the shirts and a banner with the same message.
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.
On Monday, Tennis Australia released a statement saying Peng's safety was its "primary concern".
The statement went on to say the Australian Open had a "longstanding policy of not allowing banners, signs or clothing that are commercial or political".
"On this occasion, the security guard was simply enforcing this policy and while we have reviewed this and are happy to welcome the patron back to Melbourne Park, the policy will continue to be applied in relation to any items that compromise the safety and comfort of AO fans," the statement said.
Chinese artist Ai Weiwei, who has been a vocal critic of China's Communist Party, simply tweeted out a sweating emoji in response to a video of the confiscation.
Tennis legend Martina Navratilova said the incident was "pathetic".
French player Nicolas Mahut, who lost in the first round of the doubles at this year's tournament, suggested on Twitter that organisers were bowing to corporate sponsorship from China.
He included in his tweet #1573, the name of a Chinese distillery that has the naming rights to show court two at Melbourne Park.
