Zheng Qinwen's comeback has been confirmed as the Chinese will make a return to tennis by taking part in an Australian Open exhibition match.
On January 13th – five days before the start of the start of the Australian Open – Zheng and Elena Rybakina will clash in an exhibition match at Rod Laver Arena.
For Zheng, it will be her first match since retiring to Linda Noskova in Beijing, in late September. During the summer, the 2024 Paris Olympics gold medalist surgically fixed her right elbow. When the former world No. 4 returned to action in Beijing, she won her first match back but was forced to retire in the next round. She then decided to shut down her 2025 season and further address the elbow issue.
A week ago, it was revealed that Zheng was the only top-30 player not signed up for any pre-Australian Open tournaments. However, the 23-year-old will still get some action before launching her campaign at Melbourne Park.
What Zheng recently said about her recovery?
The Chinese tennis star opting not to play any WTA tournaments in the first two weeks of 2026 shouldn't come as a surprise, considering that she hinted that she would give herself more time to recover.
“I need to extend my recovery period … and only resume extensive playing training once I’m fully recovered,” the 2024 Paris Olympics gold medalist told Vogue China last month.
When Zheng meets Rybakina, it will be their fourth meeting. The Kazakh won their 2022 Wimbledon and 2023 Beijing matches, but the Chinese triumphed in their 2024 WTA Finals clash.
“Opening Week in 2026 is set to be our most ambitious yet. Fans can see the world’s best players in must-see showdowns alongside the edge-of-your-seat intensity of the 1 Point Slam, offering world-class tennis at remarkable value," Australian Open tournament director Craig Tiley said.
