Despite not capturing any titles, the 2026 season has been very promising for Karolina Pliskova. Ranked No. 1054 at the start of the year, she is now up to No. 51 and has produced some remarkable results. With the season soon coming to a close, fans were expecting her to play as many tournaments as possible. But Pliskova has surprisingly announced her withdrawal from the China Open, citing a brutally honest reason behind her decision.

Pliskova doesn’t have any particular reason why she has decided to miss the China Open. The Czech admitted that she doesn’t want to go to China at the moment, but also didn’t rule out the possibility of a change in plans. Her withdrawal has led to a further increase in the already concerning withdrawal list of the tournament, which begins on September 30.

“I don’t have any plans at the moment. To be honest, I don’t really want to go to China,” she had said in an interview with CT Sport after the US Open. “I was attracted to Tokyo, which I like, and I also won it once. There is a certain chance that I will go there. I’ll give it a few days and see. Usually, when I lose, I don’t want to go anywhere. And then the next day I want to. It is possible that I will go to China again, but now it looks more like not.”

In fact, Pliskova still hasn’t decided whether she wants to participate in the Asian swing or not. She argued that the tournaments are very stretched, especially in China, and she isn’t in favor of staying in Asia for several weeks.

“It’s true that this is what I would probably play for there. But then again, it’s not that much motivation for me to just go to China for a month and a half. The tournaments are too stretched. Honestly, I’m not tempted to go to Asia for six weeks at the end of the season. I’m not saying I won’t go there, but I’m also not saying I’ll go there,” she added.

Pliskova wasn’t quite able to perform at her best in the North American swing. She just managed to win two matches in three tournaments, suffering a first-round exit and two second-round eliminations. Pliskova’s last defeat came at the US Open, where Diana Shnaider got the better of her by 6-1, 7-6. With the Czech not playing at the China Open, it is unclear as to when she will be in action next.

Notably, Pliskova isn’t the only notable player to withdraw from the China Open. Several headline stars will be missing from the WTA Masters 1000 event, severely affecting the hype around the tournament.

Amanda Anisimova and Jessica Pegula headline China Open’s long withdrawal list

Defending champion Amanda Anisimova recently announced her withdrawal from the tournament due to a left wrist injury. The American had missed the Singapore Open for the same reason. She will now be dropping 1000 points in the rankings, and this will see her move out of the top 15.

Jessica Pegula also won’t be participating in the tournament, but hasn’t provided a reason behind her decision. With there being no reports of an injury, it is likely that she has taken a break due to the fatigue of the grueling North American swing.

Marta Kostyuk will be another notable absentee from the China Open. She had picked up a wrist injury at the US Open, but instead of resting, she decided to participate in the Guadalajara Open. This only worsened the injury further, and Kostyuk will have to remain on the sidelines for the time being.

Another prominent player who won’t be playing the China Open is Alexandra Eala. Unlike the other players who have withdrawn due to physical setbacks, the Filipina has skipped the tournament due to a scheduling conflict. Eala will be participating in the Asian Games instead, where she is one of the favorites for the gold medal.