Life on the tennis tour might look glamorous, but it comes at a cost. Traveling non-stop, chasing points and prize money, and competing nearly all year round can be exhausting. And recently, two major stars have decided it’s time to hit pause. Ons Jabeur took to social media with a heartfelt post, announcing a break from professional tennis “to rediscover the joy of simply living.” And now Qinwen Zheng has shared a heartfelt message of her own.
Jabeur has been through a rough couple of years on tour, both physically and mentally. In a message shared last Thursday, the former world No. 2 wrote, “I have decided to take a step back and finally put myself first.” Once ranked as high as No. 2, Jabeur has now dropped to 71st in the world. A two-time Wimbledon finalist, she had to retire from her opening-round match at the All England Club this year on what turned out to be the hottest opening day in the tournament’s history.
Right after that news, another top player followed suit. Qinwen Zheng, who also suffered a first-round exit at Wimbledon, has announced a break from the tour due to a physical setback. She lost a tight three-set match to Kateřina Siniaková, marking her third straight first-round loss at the grass-court Slam. The 2024 Olympic gold medalist hasn’t had a smooth ride this season. The World No.6 crashed out in the second round at the Australian Open. While she did bounce back with a quarterfinal run at the French Open, her form hasn’t been consistent. She ended her season so far with a 19-11 win-loss record.
But now the Chinese tennis star has revealed what’s really been going on behind the scenes. She has undergone arthroscopic elbow surgery and will be taking a “short break” to recover. This explains her earlier withdrawals from both the Berlin Tennis Open and the WTA 500 event in Washington, where she had cited a neck issue.
“I want to share a quick update with you all. Over the past months, I’ve been dealing with persistent pain in my right elbow during training and matches,” Zheng posted on Instagram.“Despite trying various treatments to manage it, the discomfort never fully went away. After consulting with elbow specialists and discussing thoroughly with my team, we decided that arthroscopic surgery was the best option to fully resolve the issue. Yesterday, I underwent the procedure successfully, and I’m grateful to have it behind me.”
The 2024 Australian Open finalist further added, “Now begins the recovery journey. Over the next few weeks and months, I’ll be focusing entirely on rehab-doing everything I can to come back stronger and healthier.”
This elbow issue wasn’t exactly a surprise for those paying close attention. Zheng had been spotted wearing an elbow sleeve back in March and even admitted, “There’s still a little pain, but it doesn’t significantly affect my play. I can still feel it a bit, so wearing the sleeve provides some protection.”
This also means Jack Draper may be without a partner for mixed doubles at the US Open.
Jack Draper and Qinwen Zheng’s doubles partnership in danger
Qinwen Zheng’s recovery now casts doubt over one exciting plan for the US Open. The Olympic gold medalist was set to team up with British No. 1 Jack Draper in the mixed doubles event at this year’s Grand Slam in New York.
That partnership was supposed to be part of a reimagined US Open Mixed Doubles Championship, which features singles players joining forces in a blockbuster lineup. But Draper might have to go solo in that department.
“Qinwen I know from the tour. I have seen her around,” Draper had said at the time of the announcement. “Obviously a great player herself and has a really good game. I think it will be fun to get out there and play with her and see how we get on.”
With Zheng’s recovery timeline still unclear, her chances of making it to the US Open, where she reached the quarterfinals the last two years, look slim. With Zheng likely out, Draper may need to find a new partner ahead of the US Open. And with both her and Jabeur stepping away, , the tour is feeling the effects of its relentless pace.
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