Qinwen Zheng was looking for a big win in Dubai to put an end to her poor run of form on the WTA Tour.
The Chinese WTA star hasn’t enjoyed the best start to her 2025 campaign, winning just one match so far.
Zheng won her opener at the Australian Open, beating Romania’s Anca Todoni in straight sets, 7-6, 6-1.
Having reached the final one year earlier, Zheng then suffered a shock defeat to Laura Siegemund in the second round.
Looking to bounce back from a tough outing in Melbourne, Zheng traveled to the Middle East for the Qatar Open WTA 1000 event in Doha.
There, Zheng lost to Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur in straight sets, 4-6, 2-6, before heading east to Dubai.
In search of a second win this year, Zheng encountered a new problem, which she now reveals she has never experienced before.
Qinwen Zheng skips press conference after suffering ‘strange’ injury in Dubai defeat
Taking on American star Peyton Stearns in the first round of the Dubai Tennis Championships, Zheng clinched the first set, 6-3.
She began to struggle in the second and third, however, as she lost in three sets, 6-3, 4-6, 4-6, condemning her to a third-straight defeat.
Zheng was unable to attend her post-match press conference, explaining her reasoning in a statement released to the WTA.
“The weather is pretty hot, then plus yesterday was a long day waiting and everything,” she said.
“First of all, I started to cramp with my fingers, my two fingers stuck together, which is terrible before serving.
“Then after I start to get cramp [in] both calves, which I never had before.
“It was a bit strange.”
Zheng could be seen struggling with her hands throughout her first-round match with Stearns in Dubai.
Qinwen Zheng’s poor 2025 record worsens with Dubai defeat to Peyton Stearns
Having won just one of her four matches this year, Zheng has by far the worst record among members of the top ten.
| Win % Rank | WTA Rank | Name | Win % | Win/Loss record |
| 1 | 6 | Madison Keys | 93 | 14-1 |
| 2 | 1 | Aryna Sabalenka | 86 | 12-2 |
| 3 | 2 | Iga Swiatek | 82 | 14-3 |
| 4 | 7 | Elena Rybakina | 75 | 12-4 |
| 5 | 3 | Coco Gauff | 75 | 9-3 |
| 6 | 5 | Jessica Pegula | 67 | 8-4 |
| 7 | 10 | Paula Badosa | 60 | 9-6 |
| 8 | 4 | Jasmine Paolini | 60 | 6-4 |
| 9 | 9 | Emma Navarro | 60 | 6-4 |
| 10 | 8 | Qinwen Zheng | 25 | 1-3 |
As the only player ranked inside the world’s top ten with a negative win-loss record, Zheng will be well aware that she needs to rack up some wins quickly if she wants to remain among the world’s elite.
Zheng reached the WTA Finals final just three months ago, as she narrowly lost out to Coco Gauff in a thrilling three-set contest.
She’ll no doubt hope to rediscover the form she showed in Saudi Arabia over the coming months on the WTA Tour.
What’s next for Qinwen Zheng after disappointing Middle Eastern swing?
Unlike some of her top-ten counterparts, Zheng won’t be appearing in Mexico or the United States next week for the WTA 500 and 250 tournaments in Merida and Austin.
Instead, Zheng will make her return to the court at the WTA 1000 tournament in Indian Wells, California.
The Chinese star is scheduled to play in both ‘Sunshine Double’ events, taking her talents to Miami later in March.
Neither event has been kind to Zheng in the past, as she has won only a handful of matches across three years at the two tournaments.
- 2022 Indian Wells – Lost in 2R
- 2022 Miami Open – Lost in 1R
- 2023 Indian Wells – Did not play
- 2023 Miami Open – Lost in 4R
- 2024 Indian Wells – Lost in 2R
- 2024 Miami Open – Lost in 3R
Her best performance at the American WTA 1000 tournaments came in Miami two years ago, as she lost to Russia’s Anastasia Potopova in straight sets.
Zheng will want to go even further when she returns to action at the Indian Wells tournament, which begins on March 2.
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