Zheng Qinwen's ranking has dropped to world No. 24! Naomi Osaka becomes Asia's top player, with three Americans in the top five.

On October 28th Beijing time, following the end of the Asian season, the WTA has moved into the last phase of the season. The year-end championships are the highlight of the remaining tournaments. The newest rankings have just been released, reflecting big shifts. Chinese standout Zheng Qinwen experienced a steep fall, now ranked 24th, and no longer holds the title of Asia’s No. 1 player!

Zheng Qinwen had a breakout season last year, reaching the Australian Open final and finishing runner-up, defeating Swiatek to claim the Paris Olympic gold, and finishing second at the year-end championships. She broke into the top 10, marking her peak season. However, this year Zheng has struggled with injuries, performing inconsistently, exiting early at the Australian Open, underperforming at the French Open and Wimbledon, withdrawing from the US Open due to injury, and making a rushed comeback at the China Open that worsened her condition, leading to her complete withdrawal from the remainder of the season!

As a result of missing tournaments, Zheng Qinwen lost a significant number of ranking points, including those from her Tokyo title and year-end finals runner-up finish. Her ranking plummeted 13 spots in one drop, landing at No. 24. This actually reflects her true level now, since she hasn’t won a WTA 1000 event, let alone a Grand Slam. Zheng’s weaknesses remain clear: her serve is unstable and she lacks an edge in rallies. The three top players—Sabalenka, Swiatek, and Gauff—are tough opponents for her. Still, Zheng remains the highest-ranked Chinese player!

In other rankings news, with Zheng’s decline, the Asian No. 1 spot has changed hands. Naomi Osaka now leads Asia, ranked 16th overall. Sabalenka, after winning the US Open and multiple titles this season with remarkable consistency, remains No. 1. Swiatek, the clay-court specialist who won Wimbledon, is second. Third is American Gauff, the French Open champion. Fourth is fellow American Anisimova, who made great strides with two WTA 1000 titles this season. Fifth is American Pegula. Americans hold three of the top five spots!

Written by / Sports Novel

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