Zheng Qinwen has reportedly recovered from her elbow surgery and is expected to make her return during the upcoming Billie Jean King Cup Finals, via Spazio Tennis.
After wearing a sleeve on her right arm for months, the 2024 Paris Olympics gold medalist announced she was having surgery on her elbow shortly after losing in the Wimbledon first round. At the time, the world No. 9 confirmed that she would miss the entire North American hard-court swing but also indicated that she was planning to play again in 2025.
According to Italian tennis site Spazio, Zheng's surgery was a full success and she completed a rehabilitation process in a Swiss clinic. And when China takes on Italy in the Billie Jean King Cup Finals quarterfinal on September 16th, the 2024 Australian Open should be in action.
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For the Chinese team, it will be a major boost since they will have their top player competing.
Zheng opted for surgery with a clear goal
When revealing her decision to have arthroscopic surgery, the 22-year-old noted it was "the best way to fully resolve the issue."
"Over the past months, Ive been dealing with persistent pain in my right elbow during training and matches. Despite trying various treatments to manage it, the discomfort never fully went away. After consulting with elbow specialists and discussing thoroughly with my team, we decided that arthroscopic surgery was the best option to fully resolve the issue. Yesterday, I underwent the procedure successfully, and Im grateful to have it behind me," Zheng said in mid-July.
"Now begins the recovery journey. Over the next few weeks and months, I'll be focusing entirely on rehab-doing everything I can to come back stronger and healthier. This is just a short break, and I see it as a necessary step toward a better version of myself on court."
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Before the pause, Zheng 19-11 in her 30 matches played and she was a semifinalist in Rome and Queen's, while also making the French Open quarterfinal.
