Olympic Tennis Champion Comeback | tennisnet.com

Qinwen Zheng, the Paris 2024 Olympic champion, has only played two matches since Wimbledon. Now the Chinese want to attack again.

von tennisnet.com

last edited: December 25, 2025, 8:04 p.m

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Qinwen Zheng wants to attack again in 2026

Qinwen Zheng has fond memories of the Australian Open; in 2024 she reached the final of a Grand Slam tournament there for the first time. In the same year, the surprising triumph at the Olympic Games in Roland-Garros followed; the sky seemed to be the proverbial limit.

But as is sometimes the case in professional sports: those who subject their bodies to high levels of stress often have to pay tribute. This also applies to Zheng, who had to sit out for a long time after her elimination in the first round of Wimbledon against Katerina Siniakova. The first attempt at a comeback might have come a little too early, but Zheng did make an attempt for the home tournament in Beijing. Only to have to give up against Linda Noskova in the second end.

2026 should now be a better year for the Chinese. And she will ring in that with an exhibition match against Elena Rybakina in the run-up to the Australian Open. This has been practice for many top professionals for years. Jannik Sinner or Carlos Alcaraz will also not play any preparatory tournaments before the first major in 2026 – Novak Djokovic, on the other hand, will compete in Adelaide.

James Whitfield

James Whitfield is Archysport's racket sports and golf specialist, bringing a global perspective to tennis, badminton, and golf coverage. Based between London and Singapore, James has covered Grand Slam tournaments, BWF World Tour events, and major golf championships on five continents. His reporting combines on-the-ground access with deep knowledge of the technical and strategic elements that separate elite athletes from the rest of the field. James is fluent in English, French, and Mandarin, giving him unique access to athletes across the global tennis and badminton circuits.

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