As concerns over Peng Shuai's safety continue to swirl, a new video of the tennis star appears to show her deny ever making a sexual assault claim.
On November 2, Shuai accused former Chinese Vice Premier, Zhang Gaoli, of sexually assaulting her.
In a Weibo post that was deleted half an hour later, per The Guardian, Shuai alleged that Zhang had forced her into having sexual intercourse after inviting her to his house to play the game with him and his wife three years ago.
Watch the video here:
She also said that she and Zhang had previously had consensual relations, detailing that she'd no evidence to corroborate her claims, but was determined to share her story, nonetheless.
Shuai had not been seen in public since the ordeal, CBS Sports reported.
Now, in an exclusive interview with Chinese media outlet Lianhe Zaobao on December 19, the tennis player has denied that she had ever accused anyone of sexually assaulting her, BBC News reports.
This is the first time Peng addressed the matter on camera in public.
She also clarified that an earlier letter in November 2021 to Women's Tennis Association's (WTA) President Steve Simon had been written entirely by her, and been of "her own free will."
In the video, Peng explained: "I have never said or written that anyone sexually assaulted me. This point must be emphasized very clearly."
Peng, who appeared to have trouble hearing the reporter in the interview, and seemed surprised at the line of questioning, said she was not under surveillance.
"Why would anyone monitor [me?] [I have] always been very free," she said, per BBC News.
In the video, Peng is seen dressed casually – in a red T-shirt with the words "China" on it, black pants, white sneakers, and a dark down jacket, also with "China" emblazoned behind it.
Responding to her latest comments, the WTA, the governing body of women's tennis, said it welcomed her appearance "in a public setting" but that it did not "alleviate or address… concerns about her wellbeing and ability to communicate without censorship or coercion".
"We remain steadfast in our call for a full, fair and transparent investigation… into her allegation of sexual assault, which is the issue that gave rise to our initial concern," the WTA said.
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