Jasmine Paolini sends message to Qinwen Zheng ahead of her comeback to tennis from injury

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Qinwen Zheng has been out of action for several months as she continues to recover from injury.

The Chinese star was last seen in action at Wimbledon, where she lost in round one to Czechia’s Katerina Siniakova.

Shortly after, Zheng withdrew from the upcoming US Open, as she underwent surgery on her injured elbow.

Looking to return to WTA Tour action, Zheng won’t be fit to represent China at the Billie Jean King Cup Finals, which will be played in her home country.

As she prepares to play for Italy at the finals, two-time Grand Slam finalist Jasmine Paolini has sent her WTA rival a message.

Jasmine Paolini thinks Qinwen Zheng is coming back ‘soon’

During Team Italy’s pre-tournament press conference, Paolini was asked if she had any words for the injured Zheng.

“I think I lost every match I played against her,” she said.

“She’s a great player. I saw she was injured, but I think she’s coming back soon.

“She’s a really great player, yeah, great level of tennis.”

Paolini has indeed lost every match she’s played against Zheng, holding a disappointing 0-4 record.

The pair met for the first time in the final of the Palermo Open in July 2023, where Zheng picked up her first WTA title, defeating Paolini in three sets.

Backing up her win in Palermo, Zheng secured another victory over Paolini in Zhengzhou, China, later that same year.

A third win followed a year later, when the young Chinese star battled through in a deciding set to book her place in the Wuhan semifinals.

Then, at the 2024 WTA Finals, Zheng dominated Paolini, dropping just two games against the Italian in their group stage match.

Their rivalry has been one-sided on the court, but off it, there’s very little separating Paolini and Zheng.

In the official WTA rankings, Paolini and Zheng are ranked eighth and ninth in the world, with only three points between them.

Official WTA rankings

• 1. Aryna Sabalenka (11,225)
• 2. Iga Swiatek (7,933)
• 3. Coco Gauff (7,874)
• 4. Amanda Anisimova (5,159)
• 5. Mirra Andreeva (4,793)
• 6. Madison Keys (4,579)
• 7. Jessica Pegula (4,383)
• 8. Jasmine Paolini (4,006)
• 9. Qinwen Zheng (4,003)
• 10. Elena Rybakina (3,833)

However, Zheng currently sits 21st in the Live WTA Race, while Paolini sits ninth, meaning the 22-year-old will likely slip further down the rankings over the coming weeks.

She will hope to return from injury as soon as possible, in a bid to defend the haul of points she picked up 12 months ago.

Qinwen Zheng’s Billie Jean King Cup captain claims she needs ‘more time’ before comeback

During her press conference, China’s Billie Jean King Cup captain, Liu Feng, had this to say about Zheng’s absence.

“For Qinwen [Zheng], this moment [Billie Jean King Cup Finals] is too early for her health,” she said.

“She needs more time to come back.”

Zheng is, however, listed among the entrants for the China Open, in Beijing, which begins one week from now, on Monday, September 22.

Missing their star player, China will begin their Billie Jean King Cup campaign on Tuesday, September 16, against the defending champions, Italy.

China vs Italy (2025 Billie Jean King Cup Finals)

• Yue Yuan vs Elisabetta Cocciaretto
• Xinyu Wang vs Jasmine Paolini
• Jiang Xinyu/Zhang Shuai vs Jasmine Paolini/Sara Errani

The Chinese will need to be at their very best if they are to upset the Italians in Shenzhen.

Should they advance, they would play either Spain or Ukraine in the semifinals.

Powered on by the Chinese fans, there’s no saying what the team can achieve this year, but they would certainly have loved to see Zheng join the side.

She could well be back in 2026, however, with the Billie Jean King Cup Finals set to remain in Shenzhen for the next three years.