The runner-up in the 2024 Australian Open final has confirmed that she will not be competing this year in an official statement.
In just 10 days, the first Grand Slam of the 2026 tennis calendar will get underway as the Australian Open begins at Melbourne Park in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Ahead of the competition beginning, the final qualification matches will begin on Monday 12 January at Melbourne Park, with the likes former British number one Katie Boulter yet to secure a spot in the major.
Several of the biggest names in tennis are expected to be in action when the tournament begins, with the likes of Carlos Alcaraz, Aryna Sabalenka and Emma Raducanu.
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However, there is one massive name that will not be present at the Australian Open as she has released a statement to confirm she will not be competing in Melbourne, despite describing it as her 'lucky place'.
In 2024, Chinese tennis star Zheng Qinwen enjoyed the best year of her career, finishing runner-up to Sabalenka at the Australian Open and Coco Gauff at the WTA Finals while also winning the gold medal in the singles at the Paris Olympic Games.
However, an injury to her right elbow meant that she was forced to miss most of the second half of the 2025 season, leading to her falling down the world rankings from the career-best fourth spot she had earned due to her performances in 2024.
And in a statement posted on social media, Zheng confirmed that this nightmare scenario is set to continue as she will not be playing at the Australian Open as she continues to recover from a the elbow injury.
She wrote: “Hi everyone, After careful evaluation by my team and following medical advice, unfortunately I will be withdrawing from the 2026 Australian Open.Making this decision has been incredibly difficult for me.
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"Melbourne is my "lucky place," where I won my first Grand Slam main draw match and where I had my best experience. I have a special connection to this place, and I was very eager to start my new season at the Melbourne Park.
“Although my recovery is progressing well and my offseason has gone smoothly, to play a grand slam requires players to maintain an extreme competitive condition. Currently, I have not yet reached my best condition that I have set for myself.
"I can't thank everyone enough for their continued support and am very much looking forward to being 100% back on the court and having a strong 2026 season return”
Zheng played just 32 matches in 2025 due to the injury and had arthroscopic surgery last July, following a first-round loss at Wimbledon.
Her last match was a second round clash against Czechia’s Linda Noskova at the China Open in Beijing, a match that she retired from and later admitted she had only played to assess how much recovery her elbow still needed.
Topics: Tennis, Australian Open, Injury
Ben McCrum