Weeks After Vanishing, Peng Shuai Denies Ever Making Sexual Assault Claim

Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai has denied alleging that a senior and retired Communist Party leader sexually assaulted her and insisted she is living freely, in her first media interview since her accusations triggered concerns for her safety, Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported.

Photo Insert: While Peng Shuai has denied making the said allegation, screenshots circulating on the Internet refute her 180.

However, the comments did not ease worries at the Women's Tennis Association (WTA), which said Monday that it still had "significant concerns about her well-being and ability to communicate without censorship or coercion."

The WTA said it was still not convinced of Peng's wellbeing. "We remain steadfast in our call for a full, fair and transparent investigation, without censorship, into her allegation of sexual assault," the organization said in a statement emailed to AFP. The WTA has suspended all tournaments in China, including Hong Kong, over concerns about Peng.

In a post last month on China's Twitter-like Weibo platform, Peng had alleged that former vice-premier Zhang Gaoli -- who is in his 70s -- coerced her into sex during an on-off relationship spanning several years. In comments to Lianhe Zaobao, a Singaporean Chinese-language newspaper, Peng denied making the allegation.

"I would like to stress a very important point: I have never said nor written anything accusing anyone of sexually assaulting me," the 35-year-old said in footage apparently filmed on a phone at a sports event in Shanghai on Sunday.

"I would like to emphasize this point very clearly." The post was quickly scrubbed from the Chinese web but screenshots were posted on Twitter, setting off a global outcry.

The former Wimbledon and French Open doubles champion then disappeared from public appearances for around three weeks. The incident sparked international concern about her safety, including from the United Nations, the White House and fellow tennis stars.

In the Zaobao video, when asked about the Weibo statement, Peng did not deny the post but descrIbed it as a "private matter" that people had "many misunderstandings" about. She did not elaborate.

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