It’s been a tough stretch for Qinwen Zheng. The Olympic champion arrived at the China Open on a high, but her body had other plans. Facing Linda Noskova in the third round, the seventh seed was forced to retire with a shoulder issue in the deciding set, a bitter ending on home soil. Zheng admitted she went against her team’s advice just to play in front of her fans, though she’s still not fully fit after surgery. “I decided when the pain’s going higher, for don’t damage the area, I should stop,” she explained. With the Wuhan Open up next, last year’s finalist will once again have to wait to chase glory at home.

On Friday, ahead of the tournament, Zheng gave fans unexpected news. She’s pulling out of her next two home tournaments in Wuhan and Ningbo, a blow for her fans. In her announcement video, she said, “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.”

Last season was a thrilling ride for China’s star. Qinwen battled into the Wuhan Open final, only for top seed Aryna Sabalenka to steady herself after dropping the second set. Sabalenka took the trophy yet again, defeating the home favorite 6-3, 5-7, 6-3. Zheng had been chasing a milestone, to become only the second Chinese player to win a WTA 1000 title, but that dream stays on hold. Medical advice has pressed pause on her quest.

Qinwen Zheng dealt with a stubborn right elbow injury all season. After a third straight first-round exit at Wimbledon, she underwent arthroscopic surgery. In late July, the then-world No.7 announced she would be out for the “next few weeks and months.” Last month, she shared a recovery vlog, showing herself lifting a racquet in her hospital bed, stretching in corridors, and weightlifting in the gym. Yet, she isn’t clear to compete now.

“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.” Zheng signed off her message with those words. Promising words too that  the World No.9 will be back. But fans are not exactly pleased.

Under her post, one fan pointed to her past comments about Swiatek, writing, “Didn’t she say that other players should stop complaining and there is no problem with the long WTA calendar? I guess not if you don’t play for several months.” But what did she say exactly?

A few days ago, the Pole doubled down on her view that the tennis calendar is “crazy.” Yet after her walkover at the China Open, a reporter asked Zheng for her thoughts on the tour. She went the opposite way, defending the schedule. “I mean, this is part of the games. As a professional player, I mean, this is what it is because we have to play that many tournaments because there is in the calendar. I think my situation’s different than them.” Although, her reason behind pulling out is injury, fans are still displeased. Now, with this withdrawal, some fans can’t help but call her out.

Fans lash out at Qinwen Zheng following withdrawal

This season, Zheng opened 2025 strong with a semifinal run at the Italian Open and her first win over World No.1 Sabalenka. She struggled at the Australian Open, Doha, and Dubai. But she bounced back with quarterfinals in Indian Wells, Miami, and Charleston. Then came the setback: an elbow injury that required surgery. Even so, she still reached the French Open quarterfinals! But one fan wasn’t impressed, blasting her for skipping Wuhan: “Pathethic. The calendar isn’t that tough.”

Another user took a swipe at her form, adding, “Not the strongest.” That’s far from the truth. Zheng’s results put her among the WTA elite. In 2025, she rose to a career-high ranking of No.4 in June. She currently sits at No.9 with a 19-11 record this year. She owns five career WTA titles, including back-to-back Palermo wins (2023, 2024) and the Zhengzhou Open in 2023.

Her breakthrough came in 2024. She reached the Australian Open final before finishing runner-up. She closed the same season with another runner-up run at the WTA Finals, ending the year ranked No.5. No other Chinese player has matched her highs. She also boasts a 75% win rate in WTA 1000 events in China—the best by a Chinese player since 2009.

Setbacks have slowed her momentum. She withdrew from the US Open after elbow surgery. Still, her home record speaks for itself: 17 wins from 21 matches in China. That gives her an 81% success rate—the third-best since 2000. Since her return in 2023, no Chinese player has won more matches on home soil. She remains a rising, consistent force despite the injuries.

Her current absence creates an opening. As one fan noted, “Alexandrova gonna be a top 10 player after Wuhan. games gone.” For Zheng, the damage is limited. She’s down to World No.9 but still clings to a Top 10 ranking. A big deal, especially in such a deep WTA field. She’s competed in only 12 tournaments this year, including Roland Garros where she made the quarters.

Some fans, though, get her decision. One suggested she should have stopped earlier. “Probably would’ve been best to call it a season after the elbow surgery but probably felt pressure to play her home events. Can’t imagine she’ll play another event now that she’s out of Wuhan. Keys is not in Wuhan either so 2 of the Top 10 will miss.”

Now Qinwen Zheng is out of both the Wuhan Open and the Ningbo Open. Wuhan is a marquee Masters event, while Ningbo is a WTA 500. Missing the chance to play in front of her home fans has to sting. But the break might be a blessing. Time off could be exactly what she needs to recharge and come back stronger. What do you think?