Zheng Qinwen Withdraws from Japan Open Due to Shoulder Injury

Zheng's decision follows her recent victory at the China Open in Beijing, where she became the first Chinese woman to win the title. Competing as a wild card, she secured victories against Elina Svitolina in the quarterfinals, Elise Mertens in the semifinals, and Mirra Andreeva in the final, after winning four consecutive matches that all went to three sets.

She spent a total of 15 hours and 16 minutes on court during her seven matches in Beijing, the longest duration for any player in a tournament this year. This victory marked her first WTA 1000 title and her first since 2024.

In a statement following her withdrawal from Wuhan, Zheng noted, "Since returning from injury, I have played a demanding stretch of tennis over the past month and a half, competing at the US Open, the Billie Jean King Cup, and the China Open. My body is feeling very fatigued after this intense run of matches."

Since the US Open, where she reached the quarterfinals as a qualifier, Zheng has won 14 out of her last 15 matches, with her only loss to World No. 1 Elena Rybakina. She has risen from No. 121 to No. 23 in the PIF WTA Rankings in under two months.

In her absence, World No. 68 Ashlyn Krueger will move into the main draw for the Japan Open, which runs from October 19 to October 25. Zheng is still slated to play in the WTA 250 Prudential Hong Kong Tennis Open next month, part of a series of tournaments leading up to the WTA Finals at Indian Wells.