Chinese tennis ace Zheng Qinwen skips National Games

ZHUHAI, China, Nov. 12 (Xinhua) -- Reigning Olympic tennis champion Zheng Qinwen has withdrawn from China's 15th National Games, the Hubei sports delegation announced on Wednesday.

The Paris 2024 gold medalist had previously signed up to compete in both the women's singles and doubles events for the Games. She had also served as Hubei's flagbearer at the opening ceremony on Sunday for her home province.

An official with the Hubei delegation told Xinhua that after Zheng's arrival in Guangdong, the medical team assessed her condition and found that her right elbow joint had not yet fully recovered, making her unable to meet the demands of intense competition.

"For the sake of her health and long-term development, we have decided that Zheng withdraws from the National Games," the official said. "We will actively support her in recovering from the injury, so that she may return to the court as soon as possible."

Zheng underwent elbow surgery in July following a first-round loss at Wimbledon. The 23-year-old missed the US Open and several other tournaments before attempting her comeback at the China Open, where she retired in the third set of her third-round match due to injury. ■