Zheng Qinwen withdraws from US Open following elbow surgery

WASHINGTON, July 21 (Xinhua) -- 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.