Chinese Tennis Star Peng Shuai Denies Disappearance in Interview

Athlete’s essay raised concerns she’d been sexually assaulted
Her case highlighted human rights concerns ahead of Olympics

WATCH: Peng Shuai had dinner with IOC head Thomas Bach and member Kirsty Coventry in Beijing, IOC spokesman Mark Adams said.Source: Bloomberg

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By Iain Marlow

February 6, 2022 at 9:36 PM EST

Updated on

February 7, 2022 at 12:39 AM EST

This article is for subscribers only.

Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai told a French media outlet that she never faced limitations on her movements after writing about an affair with a former top Communist Party official, comments made after she met with International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach.

“I never disappeared. Everyone could see me,” Peng told French sports daily L’Equipe in an interview published on Sunday. “It’s just that many people, like my friends or people from the IOC messaged me, and it was simply impossible to answer so many messages.”