Zheng Qinwen serves at the French Open on June 3, 2025 in Paris, France. Photo: VCG

Chinese tennis star Zheng Qinwen has officially withdrawn from the 2025 US Open, scheduled to take place from August 24 to September 7, marking her first absence from a Grand Slam event, per the US Open official X account on Monday.

The announcement follows a series of withdrawals linked to a persistent elbow injury. On Monday, the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) confirmed Zheng's exit from the WTA 1000 Montreal tournament due to the same issue. In her absence, Clara Burel and Camila Osorio were moved into the main draw, while Zhang Shuai and Wang Yafan entered the qualifying rounds. 

On Sunday, Zheng revealed on social media that she had undergone successful surgery on her right elbow and was in recovery. She had already withdrawn from the WTA 500 event in Washington on July 17.

According to CCTV News, Zheng has been grappling with an elbow injury throughout the 2025 season. 

She first mentioned physical discomfort after the 2024 WTA Finals. Despite the injury, Zheng has delivered notable performances this year, reaching the semifinals at both the WTA Rome and London events and advancing to the ­quarterfinals at the French Open.

"If you've been following Zheng's matches for a while, you might remember the medical timeout she took during the Charleston quarterfinals in April. It lasted nearly five minutes," sports commentator Luo Le told the Global Times on Tuesday. 

"There were already reports during the Australian Open that someone in her team had suggested she withdraw. Her elbow injury has been an ongoing issue, not something new, and it's been accompanied by problems with her serve."

Luo added that with only about two-thirds of the major ranking events left this season, undergoing surgery now appears to be a well-considered decision by her team. 

Encouragingly, Zheng remains on the official roster for the 2025 Billie Jean King Cup Finals, released on Monday. Representing host nation China, the team is led by Zheng, alongside Wang Xinyu, Yuan Yue, Zhang Shuai, and Jiang Xinyu.

"Since Zheng is still listed on the Billie Jean King Cup roster, it shows she remains hopeful about making a comeback during the China swing later this year if recovery goes well," Luo said.

China will face defending champion Italy in their opening match on September 16. The Italian squad is headlined by world No.9 Jasmine Paolini and veteran Sara Errani.

If her recovery continues as planned, Zheng is expected to return to competition in mid-September, leading China's charge at the prestigious team event.