Courtesy: Google
On Sunday, December 22, Zheng Qinwen, the Olympic gold medallist, announced her decision to withdraw from the United Cup later this month, to get herself ready for the first tennis Grand Slam of the year, the Australian Open. The Chinese tennis player, who had a breakthrough season in 2024, making the women’s singles final at the Australian Open, revealed that she plans to rest, recover, and train after a hectic last season prior to taking the court in Melbourne next month.
Notably, in the women’s singles final of the Australian Open 2024, Zheng Qinwen fought valiantly, but she lost to Aryna Sabalenka from Belarus. But, later in the season, the 22-year-old managed to win the gold medal for China at the Paris Olympics 2024 before ending the year with the No. 5 ranking in the world with a runners-up finish in the WTA Finals against Coco Gauff of the USA.
I need a few extra weeks of rest, recovery, and good training: Zheng Qinwen
Starting on Thursday, December 27, Zheng Qinwen was slated to represent China in the United Cup mixed team tournament, but she shared her decision to withdraw from the event on social media. The Olympic gold medallist wrote on her official Instagram account as per News18 website, “After the long season that 2024 was for me, I need a few extra weeks of rest, recovery, and good training to get ready for the new season.”
“I had such a fantastic time at the United Cup in January of this year, and therefore will miss the event greatly. Still, I’m so excited to be back in Australia soon and I will see you all in Melbourne in a couple of weeks,” Zheng Qinwen further added. Moreover, in her absence, Gao Xinyu, the World No. 175, will be the top-ranked women’s player for China at the United Cup in Perth, Australia.
