Olympic champion Zheng out of Australian Open

Paris, France: Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen announced on Thursday that she was withdrawing from the Australian Open later this month due to a lack of...

Paris, France: Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen announced on Thursday that she was withdrawing from the Australian Open later this month due to a lack of physical conditioning.

The Chinese player is a former finalist at the year's opening Grand Slam, losing to current world number one Aryna Sabalenka 6-3, 6-2 in 2024.

Zheng underwent surgery on her elbow following a first round defeat at Wimbledon in July before returning to the WTA Tour in September.

However, she pulled out in the third round of the China Open in Beijing after admitting that she had rushed her return to competitive action.

"After careful evaluation by my team and following medical advice, unfortunately I will be withdrawing from the 2026 Australian Open," Zheng wrote on Instagram.