BEIJING: Freshly crowned China Open champion Zheng Qinwen withdrew on Monday from her home tournament in Wuhan, citing fatigue and a right shoulder injury.
Zheng became the first Chinese player to clinch the Beijing title on Sunday by defeating reigning Roland Garros champion Mirra Andreeva 7-5, 6-4 in the final.
It was Zheng's first WTA 1000-level triumph and her first title since winning Tokyo two years ago.
"I'm very sorry to share that I will be withdrawing from this year's Wuhan Open," Zheng said in a statement.
"Wuhan is where my tennis dream began, and the Wuhan Open is also where I made my breakthrough at the WTA 1000 level. I have always looked forward to competing in front of my hometown fans.
"Since returning from injury, however, I have played a demanding stretch of tennis over the past month and a half, competing at the US Open, the Billie Jean King Cup, and the China Open.
"My body is feeling very fatigued after this intense run of matches."
An Olympic gold medallist in Paris 2024 and a former world number four, Zheng underwent elbow surgery last year and missed nearly eight months of action, dropping as low as 160 in the rankings this season.
The 24-year-old has enjoyed a resurgence over the past few weeks, however, reaching the US Open quarter-finals before lifting the trophy in Beijing.
She is now ranked back among the world's top-25 but will not pick up any points in Wuhan, which kicks off Monday and ends on Sunday Oct 18.
Beijing runner-up Andreeva has also withdrawn from Wuhan, citing a change of schedule, as the Russian teenager looks to get some rest ahead of her first singles appearance at the WTA Finals in Indian Wells next month.
Zheng and Andreeva join a growing list of high-profile Wuhan absentees that also includes world number one Elena Rybakina, last year's Wuhan champion Coco Gauff and reigning Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova.