After nearly two months of silence, Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai denied reports of being sexually assaulted by a former vice premier. Instead, the 35-year-old player tried to clear up confusion during an interview with a Singapore newspaper at a promotional event for the upcoming 2022 Winter Olympic Games in Beijing.
“I never said or written [sic] anything about anyone sexually assaulting me. This needs to be emphasize [sic] very clearly,” Peng Shuai said.
Her denial comes weeks after she shared a post on social media accusing a top Chinese government official of sexual assault. After she shared the allegations, the grand slam doubles champion went silent, prompting the Women’s Tennis Association to indefinitely suspend all events in China.
Shuai then appeared on Chinese state TV and sent a letter to the WTA, notifying the association she was safe.
“The Chinese letter I replied [sic] to WTA CEO Mr. Simon was written entirely by myself,” Peng said. Shuai admitted she did not write the English version but said the messaging was the same.
Even with Peng’s new revelations, tennis fans and the WTA still have concerns. In a statement, the WTA said, “We remain steadfast in our call for a full, fair and transparent investigation.”
As we learn more about Peng Shuai’s story, the world continues to call more attention to China’s human rights abuses ahead of the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing.
