Qinwen Zheng Returns to Billie Jean King Cup Finals for the First Time Since 2024

Zheng headlines China’s roster at the Billie Jean King Cup Finals in Shenzhen this week, marking her first appearance in the competition since 2024. That year, she also won Olympic gold and reached the Australian Open final, climbing to a career-high ranking of world No. 4. Since then, Zheng has battled a nagging elbow injury that caused her to fall drastically in the rankings. However, her performance at this year’s US Open gave fans hope that the Chinese star may be back to her old ways.

Injury and Recovery

Injury and Road to Recovery

Qinwen Zheng was forced to miss last year’s US Open and Billie Jean King Cup with a right elbow injury that she underwent surgery for in July 2025. The injury originally surfaced just three days before Wimbledon in 2024, and Zheng attempted to play through it for almost a year before deciding to undergo arthroscopic surgery.

She attempted a comeback at the China Open in September of 2025, but was unfortunately forced to retire mid-match after the elbow injury began to flare up. Her ranking dropped significantly during this time off, falling from her career-high No. 4 to outside the top 100 by June of this year.

The next time Zheng took the court for a tour-level competition was the Qatar Open in February this year, where she won two matches before falling to Elena Rybakina in the Round of 16. She has since built her momentum back over the summer, finally catching stride at this year’s US Open.

Zheng’s US Open Run

Zheng’s turnaround officially caught the spotlight at the 2026 US Open when she reached the main draw through qualifying and progressed all the way to the quarterfinal. Her run included a comeback from 0-5 down in the deciding set against Madison Keys and a stunning upset over Iga Świątek to reach the quarterfinals, where she lost to the eventual champion Elena Rybakina.

She acknowledged the difficulties she faced, a stark contrast for the former world No. 4 and Olympic gold medal winner: “Psychologically it was very difficult to accept,” she admitted. “I used to be top 10, Olympic champion, playing in the big stadiums. My ranking dropped so much after the injury... I know people had a lot of doubt about me, and it’s just really hard,” Zheng continued.

The Billie Jean King Cup Ahead

This year’s US Open run matched her previous best and guaranteed a return to the top 60, setting her up for the Billie Jean King Cup Finals in front of a home crowd. China opens the tournament against two-time defending champion Italy in the quarterfinals, a tough draw for a host nation looking to make a run behind its biggest star.

For Zheng, simply being back on the court to represent her country is its own kind of victory after everything the past year has put her through. However, her performance at the US Open indicates she’s more than capable of playing at a high level, and we hope she brings that same mindset to the Billie Jean King Cup Finals this week.

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