Zheng Qinwen out of Wuhan and Ningbo after elbow injury setback

China’s top player, Zheng Qinwen, has been forced to withdraw from two upcoming home tournaments—the Dongfeng Voyah Wuhan Open and the Ningbo Open—after suffering another setback with her elbow injury in Beijing.

It’s a tough blow for Zheng, who was making her first tournament appearance since July at the China Open following elbow surgery earlier this season. In the third round, she was locked in a tight three-set battle against Linda Noskova when she appeared to reinjure her surgically repaired elbow. Down 0-3 in the decider, Zheng called for a medical timeout, had a brief conversation with the physio, and soon retired from the match.

Read More: Zheng Qinwen retires in second match after elbow surgery: "I want to save my body"

“I need to double-check with the MRI to see how it's going after two matches,” Zheng told reporters in Beijing, explaining that she was only there “to assess the recovery level of (her) elbow.”

“I said this before the match. I'm not playing at 100 percent,” she added. “I'm playing with pain, but the pain should be manageable.”

She added: “The pain only exists when I serve, even with that, I was happy with the serve tonight. The thing I could have improved was my mentality. I was hesitating whether I should be whether I should proceed, especially in the second set.”

Zheng, a native of Wuhan and a finalist at last year’s WTA 1000 event, still traveled to her hometown this week for promotional activities ahead of the tournament, which begins October 6. But hopes that she might play quickly ended when the event shared a video message from her on Friday.

“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,” Zheng said, according to Google Translate.

“Unfortunately, my body hasn't fully recovered to its best shape. After consulting doctors and discussing with my team, I sadly have to withdraw from this year's Wuhan Open.”

Shortly after, she also confirmed her withdrawal from Ningbo, a WTA 500 event held the following week from October 13–19, in another video message.

Currently ranked No. 9 in the world, Zheng has been dealing with the same nagging elbow issue throughout 2025. She began the year wearing an elbow sleeve, posted inconsistent results, and had yet to reach a final before undergoing surgery on July 18. She then skipped the North American hard-court swing and the US Open, instead spending her recovery period at home while sharing glimpses of her downtime—including a visit to the Great Wall of China—on social media.

Read More: How did Zheng Qinwen spend her time on the sidelines after elbow surgery?

Cleared by doctors in Switzerland, Zheng made her return in Beijing, where she defeated lucky loser Emiliana Arango in the second round after a bye before suffering the latest setback against Noskova.

The injury now means Zheng will fall out of the Top 10 for the first time since January 2024, unable to defend the points from last year’s strong Asian swing. The 2024 Olympic gold medalist made a dream homecoming with her run to the Wuhan final and the Beijing semifinals, and then lifted the WTA 500 trophy in Tokyo.

Her next scheduled event is the Toray Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo, where she is the defending champion. That tournament begins October 20–26.