DOHA, Qatar—Zheng Qinwen will play her first tournament of the 2026 season at the Qatar TotalEnergies Open on Monday, having competed at just once tournament since suffering a first-round exit at Wimbledon.
“I feel great to be back on the tour,” Zheng told Tennis Channel on Saturday. “I especially missed the tournaments and the competition. I missed the way you have to put your blood into a match.”
The former world No. 4 spent much of the 2025 season dealing with an elbow injury, one that forced her to miss last year’s US Open and this year’s Australian Open, a tournament where she finished runner-up in 2023. Her most recent appearance came at the China Open in Beijing, where she retired in the third round against Linda Noskova.
“Although my recovery is progressing well and my offseason has gone smoothly, to play a Grand Slam requires players to maintain an extreme competitive condition,” Zheng explained after withdrawing from the first major tournament of the season. “Currently, I have not yet reached my best condition that I have set for myself.”