Concerns regarding the safety of Peng Shuai, the missing Chinese player, have been raised by a dubious email indicating that he is safe.

A Chinese professional tennis player who has not been seen in public since accusing a former top government employee of sexual assault allegedly sent an email claiming she was fully secure and that the accusation was baseless, a message that only heightened fears for her protection and requires for personal details about her whereabouts. Those calls have so far been answered with silence.

Since Grand Slam doubles medalist Peng Shuai accused Zhang Gaoli of sexual assault roughly two weeks ago, Chinese officials have said nothing publicly.

The validity of what the Chinese state media said was an email written for him, in which Peng indicates she is safe and that the assault allegation is false, has been questioned by Steve Simon, the chairman and CEO of the Women's Tennis Association. CGTN, the foreign branch of Chinese official broadcaster CCTV, published it on Thursday.