Elbow Surgery Sidelines Olympic Champion Zheng Qinwen from U.S. Open

Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen will not participate in the U.S. Open as she recovers from right elbow surgery, organizers confirmed Monday. The revelation came after the world number six shared her struggles with persistent elbow pain on Instagram last week, affecting her training and match performance.

Despite exploring various treatments without success, Zheng decided on arthroscopic surgery after consultations with specialists and her support team. She has announced a temporary break from competition to concentrate on her recovery.

The 22-year-old Chinese athlete had a stellar run last year, winning gold at the Paris Olympics and reaching the 2024 Australian Open finals. However, she faced setbacks at Wimbledon this year, being ousted by Czech player Katerina Siniakova in the first round. French player Leolia Jeanjean will replace Zheng in the U.S. Open's main draw starting on August 24 in New York.

(With inputs from agencies.)