BEIJING/WASHINGTON - China's Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen has pulled out of this year's US Open tournament following an elbow surgery, the event's organizers announced on Monday.
The sixth-ranked Zheng, two-time US Open quarterfinalist, said in a social media post last Saturday that she has undergone successful surgery on her right elbow and is now recovering.
"During recent training sessions and competitions, I have been consistently bothered by pain in my right elbow," Zheng wrote. "Although I persisted through interventions, the impact of the pain persisted. After diagnosis by elbow specialists, they recommended to me and my team to complete minimally invasive arthroscopic surgery on the right elbow as soon as possible to thoroughly resolve the issue."
"After careful discussion with my team, in order to return to the court in the best possible state as soon as possible, we decided that surgery was the best course. I completed the surgery yesterday, it went very smoothly, and I am in recovery," she added.
A consistent presence in the latter stages of the Grand Slam event in New York, Zheng reached the women's singles quarterfinals in 2023 and 2024. The 2025 US Open is scheduled to take place from August 24 to September 7.
Looking ahead, Zheng expressed her commitment to a full recovery.
"In the coming period, I will focus my efforts on rehabilitation training, striving to return to the court at 100 percent as soon as possible. This brief adjustment is for a stronger comeback in the future. Thanks, everyone, for your support and patience. Please wait for me to return to full strength, we will meet on the court," she said.
Billie Jean King Cup finals
Separately, team nominations for the 2025 Billie Jean King Cup Finals were announced on Monday, with Zheng set to lead host China in the eight-team tournament scheduled for Sept 16 to 21 at the Shenzhen Bay Sports Center.
The competition features a star-studded line-up including five current or former WTA top-10 players: Zheng , Jessica Pegula, Madison Keys, Jasmine Paolini and Paula Badosa.
China will open the tournament on September 16 against defending champion Italy. Zheng will be joined by Wang Xinyu, Yuan Yue, Zhang Shuai and Jiang Xinyu, with Liu Feng serving as team captain. Italy's squad includes world No. 9 Paolini and veteran Sara Errani.
Spain, led by Badosa and Jessica Bouzas Maneiro, will take on Ukraine in the second quarterfinal on September 17. The Ukrainian team will make its Finals debut, with Elina Svitolina and Marta Kostyuk among its key players.
Two quarterfinal ties are scheduled for Sept 18. Elena Rybakina, the 2022 Wimbledon champion, headlines Kazakhstan's team as they face a powerful United States lineup featuring Pegula, Keys and world No. 11 Emma Navarro. The same day, four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka will lead Japan against a strong British squad anchored by 2021 US Open champion Emma Raducanu.
READ MORE: Olympic champion Zheng looking forward to better result at Wimbledon
All ties will be played in a best-of-three format, consisting of two singles matches followed by a doubles match.
