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Qinwen Zheng Withdraws From 2 Tournaments After Elbow Injury

Qinwen Zheng has pulled out of two important tournaments during the WTA's Asian Swing.
Pat Benson|
Qinwen Zheng has pulled out of two tournaments.
Qinwen Zheng has pulled out of two tournaments. | IMAGO / VCG

Chinese tennis star Qinwen Zheng's season has gone from bad to worse. Zheng has officially withdrawn from the Wuhan Open and Ningbo Open after reinjuring her surgically-repaired elbow.

The injury occurred just before Zheng retired mid-match against Linda Noskova at the China Open. It was just Zheng's second match since Wimbledon. She underwent elbow surgery on July 18 and made a strong effort to return in time for the Asian Swing of the WTA Tour.

Adding insult to injury, Zheng's post-match press conference in Beijing drew criticism from fans. The 22-year-old strongly opposed a shorter season "because the strongest players survive." Her remarks were a sharp contrast to Iga Swiatek and Carlos Alcaraz's calls for fewer mandatory events.

Fans had hoped Zheng would be ready to play in Wuhan as the tournament shared pictures of her arriving at the airport on social media. However, she later released a video announcing her withdrawal from the Masters 1000 event.

According to an online translation, Zheng said, "Hello everyone, I'm Zheng Qinwen. Since last year's Wuhan Open final, I've been looking forward to returning to my hometown and playing my best tennis in front of you all. Unfortunately, my body hasn't fully recovered to its best state.

After consulting doctors and discussing with my team, I have to regrettably withdraw from this year's Wuhan Open. Special thanks to all fans for your support, especially those from my hometown. Every cheer motivates me to push forward. See you at next year's Wuhan Open. Thank you, goodbye."

Zheng then filmed a similar video for the Ningbo Open, which the tournament's official social media accounts shared online.

"Hey, everyone, this is Zheng Qinwen. After talking with my doctor and discussing with my team, I'm really sorry to say I have to pull out of this year's Ningbo Open. I really hope to be back in Ningbo next year. Wishing this year's tournament a great success. Thanks for all your support and concern.

Unlike the Wuhan Masters, the Ningbo Open is just a WTA 500-level event. Yet still, it has to be painful for the Chinese trailblazer to miss out on the opportunity to play in front of so many loyal fans.

Zheng is the WTA World No.9 with a record of 20-12 and zero titles. The Wuhan Open runs from October 6-12. Meanwhile, the Ningbo Open runs from October 13-19. The future of Zheng's 2025 season remains unclear, and her path to the WTA Finals looks even less likely now.

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Pat Benson
PAT BENSON

Pat Benson covers professional tennis for Serve on Sports Illustrated, reporting on ATP and WTA events worldwide. From Challenger tournaments to Grand Slams, he brings readers in-depth coverage, daily recaps, and exclusive interviews with some of the biggest names in the sport. With a decade of experience in sports journalism, Pat is recognized as a trusted voice in tennis media. You can contact him at 1989patbenson@gmail.com.

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