Zheng Qinwen won't be competing at this week's WTA 500 tournament in Ningbo after announcing on Wednesday her late withdrawal from the event.
Following a deep US Open run, the Chinese tennis star returned to action for back-to-back WTA 1000 tournaments in Beijing and Wuhan, where she made the semifinal and final, respectively.
This week, the world No. 7 was slated to play for a third consecutive week. But after 10 matches across the last two weeks and also contracting some injuries and illnesses, Zheng decided that pulling out of Ningbo was the right thing to do.
Since she is currently the biggest tennis name in China and would have been the second-seeded player, there is no doubt that the Paris Olympics gold medalist not playing in Ningbo is a huge blow for the organizers but also for fans.
I feel really sorry to withdraw from Ningbo because I really like this tournament. But after playing China Open and Wuhan back to back, my body has some injuries and also some sickness. See you next year and I hope you enjoy the tournament in Ningbo," the 22-year-old said in a statement.
What plagued Zheng and why the Ningbo withdrawal was expected?
After losing to Karolina Muchova in the Beijing semifinal on October 7th, the Chinese admitted she was tired and exhausted but remained hopeful she would be able to recover for Wuhan. And while she managed to do extremely well in Wuhan and reach the final before losing to Aryna Sabalenka in three sets, she still dealt with some issues.
Following a loss to Sabalenka, Zheng revealed that she was battling a fever and that she had to take some medications before the final.
"I took some pills to reduce my fever before this match. I was feeling worse yesterday. Now I'm feeling better compared to yesterday. Within two weeks I have had a fever two times. It's really uncommon. That was also the case in Cincinnati. I had a fever. I hope that I can be healthy, I can be competing in a normal condition. This is something very challenging for me," the 22-year-old said.
In the same presser - when asked about Ningbo - Zheng admitted to reporters that there was a chance she would have to skip the tournament.
"I have to talk to my team. Up till now, I am not physically 100%. Within two weeks I have had a fever two times, so I'm feeling a little bit weak in my health. I will need to be really cautious talking to my team. Competing in Ningbo is important, but my health is also important. I need to find the balance between the two," the world No. 7 said on Sunday.
What's next for Zheng?
At the start of the Asian swing, the 2024 Australian Open runner-up highlighted to local reporters that she was very motivated to do well in China because she needed points to secure a WTA Finals qualification. And after reaching the Beijing semifinal and the Wuhan final, the home favorite went from No. 9 in the Race to the WTA Finals to No. 7 and booked a place in Riyadh.
Now that she is out of Ningbo and the WTA Finals don't start until November 2nd, Zheng has time to rest but also prepare well for the season-ending tournament.
"After this loss, I need some time to slow down, to ease my mind, to think about it. If I really want to do something, I'll wait for another 24 hours after a full night's sleep to think about what I really want to do. There is competition for the Finals. I might need to really put my mind in recovery of my body," the 22-year-old said after the Wuhan final.
This year, Zheng elevated her game to a new level and became the first Chinese to reach a Grand Slam final since Li Na in 2014. Also, she brought her country an Olympic gold medal and achieved a career-high ranking of No. 5 in the world.
While she won't be the top favorite in Riyadh, the Chinese are hoping she can also do very well in her WTA Finals debut and cap off her brilliant season in style.
"It's hard to say when the surprises will come because tennis is very unpredictable. I think the fans should relax. Do not put your hopes too high. We shall see each match from a normal perspective. That would actually be better for me. It's hard to say what my performance will be at the Finals, but I will put in 100%," Zheng said.
