Zheng Qinwen ends her 2026 season, pulling out of Hong Kong

Zheng Qinwen will not play again in 2026. The China Open champion has withdrawn from the Hong Kong Open, her third consecutive withdrawal since lifting the trophy in Beijing, and has called an early end to a season that had only just swung back in her favour.

Zheng cited the need to listen to the warning signs from her body after a demanding run of weeks and to take precautions. She added that she had been looking forward to playing in Hong Kong for the first time. According to reports, the problem is a right shoulder injury combined with fatigue after an intense schedule.

From Beijing glory to three straight withdrawals

Zheng's title in Beijing, where she beat Mirra Andreeva 7-5, 6-4 in the final, was the high point of a remarkable comeback. According to reports, it was also the first WTA 1000 title of her career, won in front of a home crowd. Since then, she has not hit a competitive ball. She first pulled out of the Wuhan Open, just a day after her triumph in the Chinese capital, then withdrew from the Japan Open in Osaka, which is under way this week without her. Hong Kong, where she was set to be one of the top seeds, is now the third event to lose her.

The Hong Kong organisers still have a strong field to fall back on, with Belinda Bencic and former Hong Kong champion Leylah Fernandez among the players reported in the field.

A season of two halves

The decision is a precaution rather than a crisis, but it is a reminder of how fragile Zheng's body has been over the last two seasons. Her 2025 campaign was disrupted by an elbow injury that required surgery.

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The turnaround came in late summer. Zheng was ranked outside the top 100, at No. 121, at the end of August. A quarter-final run at the US Open, followed by the Beijing title, propelled her back into the top 25 by mid-October. That surge had raised hopes of a strong finish on home soil in the Asian swing, but she has now opted to bank her progress rather than push through the pain.

Eyes on Melbourne

The 24-year-old, a finalist at the Australian Open in 2024, is now set to focus on her fitness ahead of the 2027 season. Melbourne Park, where she reached her first Grand Slam final, is the clear early target.

With Zheng out of the picture, the remaining weeks of the Asian swing lose one of their main attractions. Her withdrawal follows that of Iga Świątek, who pulled out of Ningbo with a thigh injury, as the physical toll of a long season continues to thin out the fields before the WTA Finals in Indian Wells from 8 to 15 November.