Olympic champion Zheng has had elbow surgery and will not be competing in the U.S. Open

The U.S. Open organizers revealed on Monday that Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen has withdrawn from the competition while she heals from surgery on her right elbow.

On Instagram last week, the world number six disclosed that she has been dealing with “persistent pain” in her right elbow, which has been affecting her performance in both training and competition.

Following discussions with elbow specialists and her support team, Zheng made the decision to have arthroscopic surgery after trying many treatments with limited success.

In order to concentrate on her recuperation, she has subsequently declared that she will be taking a brief hiatus from competition.

The 22-year-old Chinese player had an incredible year last year, winning gold at the Olympics in Paris and making it to the Australian Open final in 2024.

Her progress was stopped, though, at Wimbledon this year, where Czech star Katerina Siniakova defeated her in the opening round earlier in July.

Zheng’s retirement will allow Leolia Jeanjean of France to advance to the U.S. Open main event, which starts on August 24 in New York and is the season’s last Grand Slam.