Aday after winning her first title in two years at the China Open, Zheng Qinwen has pulled out of the Wuhan Open, started on October 12, citing a right shoulder injury, the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) announced on Monday.
The 24-year-old said the physical demands of a packed schedule following her return from injury had left her fatigued. Her recent commitments included the US Open, the Billie Jean King Cup and the China Open.
“I’m very sorry to share that I will be withdrawing from this year’s Wuhan Open,” Zheng said in a statement released by the WTA. “Wuhan is where my tennis dream began, and the Wuhan Open is also where I made my breakthrough at the WTA 1000 level. I have always looked forward to competing in front of my hometown fans.”
“My body is feeling very fatigued after this intense run of matches,” she added, expressing hope of returning next year in her best possible form.
Her withdrawal comes on the heels of a landmark achievement. On Sunday night in Beijing, Zheng, a wild card entry, defeated Russia’s Mirra Andreeva 7-5, 6-4 to become the first Chinese player to win the China Open women’s singles title.
The victory earned her 1,000 ranking points and $1.15 million in prize money , lifted her to World No. 23 and secured a seeded position at the 2027 Australian Open.
Her growing commercial appeal was reflected in Forbes’ 2026 global tennis player earnings list, which ranked her seventh with $22.6 million, including $22 million from off-court sponsorships, according to the Beijing Daily.
“I’m really happy I made the first steps. For me, there’s still more to come. I’m so hungry honestly for what’s going to come in the next phase of my career because I know my potential, and I don’t want to have a regret the day that I retire from tennis. I just want to give everything that I have in my tennis career,” Zheng was quoted as saying by the Global Times.