Zheng Qinwen has withdrawn from the WTA 250 Kinoshita Group Japan Open in Osaka because of a continuing shoulder injury, according to the WTA. The withdrawal comes just days after Zheng also pulled out of Wuhan with the same issue, and it will keep her out of a tournament scheduled to run from Oct. 19 to Oct. 25.
The shoulder problem follows one of the most demanding stretches of Zheng’s season. In a statement issued after her Wuhan withdrawal, the Chinese star described the toll of her recent schedule.
“Since returning from injury, I have played a demanding stretch of tennis over the past month and a half, competing at the US Open, the Billie Jean King Cup and the China Open,” Zheng said. “My body is feeling very fatigued after this intense run of matches.”
Who Replaces Her In The Draw
World No. 68 Ashlyn Krueger has moved into the Japan Open main draw to fill the spot vacated by Zheng’s withdrawal, per the WTA.
Season Context Behind The Fatigue
Zheng’s workload explains much of the wear cited in her statement. She spent 15 hours and 16 minutes on court across seven matches in Beijing to win the China Open, the most court time logged by any player at any tournament this year and the most since Opta began tracking such data in 2023. That run delivered her first career WTA 1000 title and her first WTA Tour Driven by Mercedes-Benz title since 2024, making her the first Chinese woman to win the China Open.
The results since the US Open have been striking by any measure. Zheng has won 14 of her last 15 matches, with her only defeat coming against world No. 1 Elena Rybakina. Nine of those 15 matches went the distance to three sets, adding to the physical toll referenced in her withdrawal statement. The stretch has also reshaped her ranking: Zheng entered the US Open at No. 121 in the PIF WTA Rankings and has climbed to No. 23 in less than two months.
What’s Next For Zheng
Zheng remains scheduled to compete at the WTA 250 Prudential Hong Kong Tennis Open next month, one of the final two tournaments on the calendar before the WTA Finals at Indian Wells. No update on her shoulder is expected before then, and the WTA has not indicated when her status for Hong Kong will be clarified.
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