Breaking news! Zheng Qinwen withdraws due to injury, surprisingly missing out on the round of 16, with more bad news: her top ten ranking is at risk.

On September 29th Beijing time, the third round of the China Open women’s singles featured a highlight clash. The contest for the round of 16 between Chinese talent Zheng Qinwen and Noskova ended with Zheng retiring while down 0-3 in the final set after splitting the first two sets 1-1. This upset means Zheng misses the last 16, and with her elimination, she faces the grim possibility of dropping out of the world’s top ten rankings!

Zheng Qinwen has struggled with injuries this season, experiencing both highs and lows. After Wimbledon, aiming to better her career prospects, she opted for surgery. Now, after more than two months of recovery, although not fully back to her best, Zheng chose to return for the home crowd. She had a first-round bye, then dominated Arango 2-0 in the second round to reach the last 32, where she faced a familiar opponent, Noskova, whom she had previously defeated!

Once the match began, Zheng was dominated by her opponent, and her serve lacked impact, suffering two breaks and losing the first set 4-6, visibly showing a decline in her serving. In the second set, Zheng bounced back with a stronger performance, winning 6-3. However, in the deciding set, she was overwhelmed early, falling behind 0-3, and soon after announced her retirement. Losing 0-2 and exiting unexpectedly is truly disappointing. To maintain her top ten ranking, she had to give her all, but the outcome was surprisingly unfavorable!

For Zheng Qinwen, this loss is understandable. To ease ranking point pressure, she forced her comeback, but having just recovered from injury and not played for two to three months, her form was far from peak. Her injury-related retirement is regrettable. This setback could hit her even harder if she cannot compete in upcoming tournaments, possibly causing her ranking to drop out of the top ten or even further. From this perspective, Zheng’s return seems more costly than beneficial—a case of misfortune piling up. It’s truly unfortunate. Let’s hope Zheng recovers well and refrains from competing further for now. Stay strong!

Written by / Sports Novel