WTA still concerned for Peng Shuai’s safety after her video call with Olympic officials

Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai held a video call with the president of the International Olympic Committee on Sunday saying she was “safe and well,” but the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) remains concerned about her sexual assault allegations. 

Peng had a 30-minute video conference with IOC President Thomas Bach, athletes commission chair Emma Terho and IOC member Li Lingwei, a former vice president of the Chinese Tennis Association. 

This marked her first direct contact with international sports associations since her disappearance after publicly accusing a former Chinese vice-premier of sexual assault earlier this month. 

“She explained that she is safe and well, living at her home in Beijing, but would like to have her privacy respected at this time. That is why she prefers to spend her time with friends and family right now,” the IOC said in a statement. 

The call follows the awkward release of photos of Peng in public at a restaurant and children’s tennis tournament in Beijing in attempts to defuse growing international concern over her safety. 

The WTA continued to press for transparency following the call. “It was good to see Peng Shuai in recent videos, but they don’t alleviate or address the WTA’s concern about her wellbeing and ability to communicate without censorship or coercion,” a WTA spokesperson told NBC News.

The spokesperson reiterated their demand for a “a full, fair and transparent investigation, without censorship, into her allegation of sexual assault, which is the issue that gave rise to our initial concern.”

The IOC has been more cautious about Peng’s sexual assault allegations and subsequent disappearance than professional tennis organizations and players, likely because China is due to host the Winter Olympics in Beijing next year. 

It was quick to accept the veracity of a letter purportedly from Peng released by a Chinese state media broadcaster last week, which many regarded with skepticism. When pressed, the IOC said, “Experience shows that quiet diplomacy offers the best opportunity to find a solution for questions of such nature.”