Zheng Qinwen Forced out of Australian Open Due to Injury

Zheng Qinwen, former Australian Open finalist, will not come to Melbourne in 2026.

The 2024 runner-up said that her health must be a priority at the moment, and posted the news in her native Chinese in an Instagram story.

“It’s sad to tell you that after team evaluation and doctor’s advice, I’m withdrawing from the 2026 Australian Open,” she wrote. “Making this decision was incredibly difficult for me. Melbourne is the “blessed land” of my career, my first Grand Slam win and runner-up.

“Although my right elbow is recovering smoothly and my recent winter training is all out, Grand Slam level tennis has the ultimate physical requirements. At the moment I am not yet up to the “100 percent fight status” standard set for myself.”

Zheng struggled in 2025 with an elbow injury, undergoing arthroscopic surgery last July. She returned to the court in her native China in September, but didn’t play again for the rest of the season.

The 23-year-old, who won Olympic Gold in Paris in 2024, is currently ranked 24.