Qinwen Zheng has pulled out from the forthcoming Adelaide international - the second of the WTA 500 tournaments taking place on Australian soil.
Zheng, who was part of China's squad in the second edition of the United Cup, has not disclosed the reason behind her absence from Adelaide, which kicks off on January 8th and will conclude on January 13th, a day before the Australian Open main draw officially begins.
The 21-year-old was a vital member of her nation, which debuted at the mixed-gender team competition. China finished second in a group containing Serbia and Czech Republic and qualified for the quarterfinals after emerging as the best runner-up in the city of Perth.
Zheng accounted for two singles wins, one of which was registered on the second day of the tournament with a massive upset over reigning Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova. She would team up with compatriot Zhizhen Zhang and win their mixed doubles rubber against the Czechs.
However, their campaign came to a screeching halt in the last eight as they lost to tournament favorites Poland, who outclassed China 3-0 in the tie. Zheng lost to WTA World No. 1 Iga Swiatek in straight sets.
Instead of traveling to Adelaide, the Chinese No. 1 has chosen not to pursue additional matches before the year's first Grand Slam. Zheng was one of the WTA's most consistent performers in 2023, highlighted by two title wins - one of which arrived in her native China in Zhengzhou.
She also won a gold medal at the Asian Games, which guaranteed her place at the 2024 Paris Olympics tennis event. Zheng rose to a career-high ranking of World No. 14 at the end of last season thanks to a runner-up finish at the WTA Elite Trophy.
The 21-year-old is touted to break the world's Top 10 in 2024 and could wreak havoc at the majors after a stunning run to the last eight of the 2023 US Open, where she earned a Top 10 win over Ons Jabeur. Zheng's place in the main draw at the Adelaide International has gone to Angelique Kerber.
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