Ningbo
Chinese tennis star Zheng Qinwen has withdrawn from the WTA Ningbo Tennis Open on Wednesday, citing health reasons. The tournament, which is part of the WTA 500 series, began its main draw on October 14 and features many top-ranked players.
In a statement reported by sources, Zheng expressed regret over her withdrawal, saying, ‘I deeply regret having to withdraw from the Ningbo tournament. After competing in the China Open and the Wuhan Open, I have sustained some injuries and have also caught a cold. I hope to return and compete in Ningbo next year. I sincerely apologise for my withdrawal.’ Zheng was the second seed and was set to play in the second round against the winner of the match between Czech player Karolina Muchova and Australia’s Olivia Gadecki.
Her 2024 season was remarkable, highlighted by her historic performance at the Paris Olympics, where she defeated World No. 1 Iga Swiatek in the quarterfinals and won China’s first Olympic singles gold medal. She also reached the quarterfinals at the US Open and made it to her first WTA 1000 final in Wuhan, where she finished as runner-up to Aryana Sabalenka.
Zheng is currently aiming to qualify for the WTA Finals in Riyadh, with hopes to become the first Chinese player to do so in over a decade. She entered the Asian swing ranked No. 9 on the Race Leaderboard and moved up to No. 7 after her performance in Wuhan.
