Zheng Qinwen withdraws from United Cup to focus on Australian Open

By The Associated Press

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Olympic gold medalist Zheng Qinwen has announced she will not play at the United Cup mixed-teams tournament starting later this month, opting instead to focus on preparations for the 2025 season’s first Grand Slam. In a breakthrough season for the 22-year-old, Zheng made the Australian Open final in before clinching gold at the Paris Olympics and finished runner-up at the WTA Finals to end the year ranked at No. 5. She was due to represent China at the United Cup starting Dec. 27. Zheng’s absence means world No. 175 Gao Xinyu will be China’s top-ranked female player at the United Cup. World No. 45 Zhang Zhizhen will lead the men’s lineup for China as they face Brazil in Perth, Australia on Friday.