The head of the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) has cast doubt on an email released by Chinese state media attributed to tennis player Peng Shuai.
The tennis star has not been heard from since she made sexual assault allegations against a top Chinese government official two weeks ago.
In the email, Ms Peng purportedly says the allegations are “not true”.
Steve Simon, chairman of the WTA, said the message “only raises” his concerns about Ms Peng’s safety.
“I have a hard time believing that Peng Shuai actually wrote the email we received or believes what is being attributed to her,” he said in a statement.
Written in her voice and published by the broadcaster CGTN, the email claims she is not missing or unsafe, adding: “I’ve just been resting at home and everything is fine.”
The BBC has not seen an original copy of the email.
Many responding on social media have cast doubt on its authenticity. Some have pointed out that a typing cursor appears to be visible on the screenshot of the email published by CGTN, suggesting it may not be an email at all.
Ms Peng – a former number one-ranked tennis doubles player – had not been heard from since posting an allegation about former Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli on Chinese social media site Weibo in early November.
She alleged she was “forced” into sexual relations with Mr Zhang – who served as the country’s Vice Premier between 2013 and 2018 and was a close ally of China’s leader Xi Jinping – in a post that was later taken down. She has not been seen or heard from publicly since.
The WTA and leading voices from the world of tennis have increasingly spoken out about Ms Peng since.
Earlier this week, world number one male tennis player Novak Djokovic said he hoped she would okay, adding that he was shocked, while Naomi Osaka voiced concerns about Ms Peng’s whereabouts. (BBC)
