Chinese tennis star says she wasn't sexually assaulted

Chinese tennis player Peng Shuai said on Sunday that she had never accused anyone of sexually assaulting her, and that a social media post she had made in November had been misunderstood.

"First, I need to stress one point that is extremely important, I have never said or written that anyone has sexually assaulted me, I have to clearly stress this point," Peng said in the video posted by Lianhe Zaobao, a Singapore media outlet.

"With regards to Weibo, it’s about my personal privacy ... There's been a lot of misunderstanding … There [should be] no distorted interpretation," Peng said, referring to the original post to the Chinese social media platform, without elaborating.

In a November social media post, Peng appeared to allege that a former Chinese vice premier, Zhang Gaoli, had sexually assaulted her in the past.

Her post was quickly deleted and she was not seen in public for nearly three weeks, prompting concern among the international tennis community and rights groups.

WTA still concerned for her well-being

The Women's Tennis Association (WTA) responded on Monday to Peng's comments, saying her appearance did not "alleviate or address the WTA's significant concerns about her well-being and ability to communicate without censorship or coercion."

The WTA has since suspended tournaments in China over fears for her Peng's safety.

Peng said Sunday that she had been living at home in Beijing without supervision. She added that she had personally written a letter in November to WTA boss Steve Simon, in which she denied the allegation of assault.

Simon said at the time he "had a hard time believing" that the tennis star had actually written the email.

Speaking on the sidelines of a cross-country skiing event in Shanghai, Peng's comments are believed to come in the first foreign press interview since her post in November. 

Peng did not mention Zhang.

The tennis player has so far held two video calls with the International Olympic Committee (IOC), as Beijing gears up to host the Winter Olympics early next year.

rm, mvb/jsi (dpa, Reuters)