The Wuhan Open lost two of its biggest names before either could take the court.
The WTA confirmed Monday that China Open champion Zheng Qinwen and runner-up Mirra Andreeva have both withdrawn from this week’s WTA 1000 event in Wuhan, just one day after meeting in the Beijing final.
Zheng cited a right shoulder injury, while Andreeva withdrew because of a scheduling change. Their exits immediately thin the top of a Wuhan field that already entered the week without World No. 1 Elena Rybakina and Coco Gauff.
Zheng pulls out after historic Beijing title
Zheng’s withdrawal comes after the biggest week of her season. The Chinese star beat Andreeva 7-5, 6-4 on Sunday to become the first Chinese woman to win the China Open. Her championship run in Beijing delivered the first WTA 1000 title of her career and her first tour-level trophy since Tokyo in 2024.
The timing makes the Wuhan withdrawal especially significant. Zheng was expected to be one of the tournament’s central attractions, playing in front of a home crowd at an event closely tied to her rise on tour. Instead, she will step away after a demanding stretch that included the US Open, Billie Jean King Cup duty and her title run in Beijing.
For Zheng, the decision appears to be about protecting her health rather than chasing another deep run less than 48 hours after lifting a trophy.
Andreeva also steps away after reaching No. 3
Andreeva’s withdrawal is less about injury and more about workload. The 19-year-old Russian is coming off her fifth final of the season and is projected to climb to a career-high No. 3 in the WTA rankings. Her Beijing run also locked up a place in the season-ending WTA Finals.
Andreeva reached the China Open final with one of her cleanest performances of the week, beating Nikola Bartunkova 6-2, 6-2 in the semifinals before falling to Zheng in the championship match.
With a long Asian swing already behind her and the WTA Finals looming, skipping Wuhan gives Andreeva a chance to reset before the closing stretch of the season.
Wuhan draw opens up for Sabalenka, Swiatek
The withdrawals create an even bigger opportunity for the remaining contenders. The Wuhan Open field is led by Aryna Sabalenka, a three-time champion at the event, while Iga Swiatek, Jessica Pegula, Linda Noskova, Elina Svitolina and Karolina Muchova are among the other seeded players still in the draw.
Wuhan is the final WTA 1000 tournament of the Asian swing and runs through Sunday at the Optics Valley International Tennis Centre. With Zheng and Andreeva now out, the path through the draw looks considerably different than it did when the bracket was released.
For the rest of the field, two major obstacles are suddenly gone. For Zheng and Andreeva, the priority shifts from another trophy chase to making sure they are ready for what comes next.
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