Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai denies making sexual assault claim

Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai has denied saying that a senior Communist Party leader sexually assaulted her despite her November social media post and insisted she is living freely, in her first media interview since her accusations triggered concerns for her safety.

The Lianhe Zaobao Chinese-language newspaper posted a video of Peng in which she said she has been mainly staying at home in Beijing but was free to come and go as she chose.

"First of all, I want to emphasise something that is very important. I have never said nor written anything accusing anyone of sexually assaulting me," Peng said in the footage apparently filmed on a phone at a sports event in Shanghai on Sunday.

"I would like to emphasise this point very clearly," she went on.

However, the comments did not ease worries at the Women's Tennis Association (WTA), which said on Monday that it still had "significant concerns about her well-being and ability to communicate without censorship or coercion".

In a social media post last month, Peng had alleged that former vice-premier Zhang Gaoli forced her into sex during an on-off relationship spanning several years.

The post was quickly scrubbed from the Chinese web, but not before screenshots were posted on Twitter, setting off a global outcry.

The former Wimbledon and French Open doubles champion then disappeared from public appearances for around three weeks.

The incident sparked international concern about her safety, including from the UN, the White House, and fellow tennis stars.

In the Zaobao video, when asked about her social media statement, Peng did not deny the post but described it as a "private matter" that people had "many misunderstandings" about.

She did not elaborate.

In the video, a person is heard