Zheng Qinwen's team has released the latest training video, sparking online doubts that her participation in the Australian Open is once again pressured by sponsors.

Yesterday, Zheng Qinwen’s fitness trainer shared a candid video of her winter training on social media. The footage highlights Zheng’s emphasis on building strength in her shoulder and elbow, along with endurance in her lower body.

In July this year, Zheng underwent a minimally invasive arthroscopic surgery for ongoing pain in her right elbow. Merely 88 days post-operation, she took the risk to compete at the China Open, but had to withdraw in the third round against Noskova due to discomfort in her elbow. After the match, media revealed that her elbow showed severe swelling and fluid accumulation, indicating a serious condition. This experience led her and her team to swiftly decide to end the season early and focus on active recovery treatment.

According to team members, Zheng’s physical indicators began to gradually normalize starting November. The swelling caused by her early participation in the China Open had completely subsided. Subsequently, she traveled to Madrid, Spain, for a planned five-week winter training camp, where the newly released training video was filmed. From the current training status, Zheng’s condition appears decent, and her elbow injury is progressively healing, though the team has not disclosed whether she is ready to compete yet.

Notably, this winter training is highly targeted, not only addressing her extremely fragile elbow but also focusing on specific training content.

Shoulder and elbow strength with serve enhancement: based on shoulder and elbow power monitoring data to specifically restore serve power; deadlifts at 85 kilograms: demonstrating exceptional lower body and core strength, well above typical female players; beach resistance running and agility drills: designed to improve movement and stability while reducing joint pressure. Additionally, meditation is used to maintain mental calmness and focus.

In the video released by the fitness coach, Zheng’s muscles are well-defined, and her movements are smooth and natural. Sports experts noted that the fast-paced ball toss training specifically tests the instantaneous explosive power and cushioning ability of her elbow and wrist.

Many fans were very happy after seeing Zheng Qinwen’s latest recovery training video. One fan commented, “Seeing her train so actively for the upcoming competition makes me feel that her healthy return is not far off. Exhibition matches are a great chance to test her physical condition. Hopefully, Zheng won’t have any regrets at this year’s Australian Open.”

However, many fans also raised questions: Is her injury truly fully healed? Is her participation this time again a decision forced by sponsor pressure?

The reason for such speculation is mainly due to the schedule where the Chinese star only participates in one exhibition match. Reviewing Zheng Qinwen’s past Australian Open experiences, she typically plays at least two warm-up tournaments to regain form and test new tactics. The only similar case was last year, when she only played an exhibition match against Svitolina before the tournament and then exited in the second round. Later, news of her elbow injury during winter training surfaced. Therefore, if Zheng was fully recovered, she would have surely attended warm-up events to ensure peak form for the Australian Open.

Online speculation quickly suggested that this might be due to sponsor pressure. After all, the Australian Open is the only Grand Slam where Zheng has reached the final, holding great significance for her. Winning the title is surely her ambition. But this year, her “almost last-minute” participation indicates she likely has low expectations for results and is mainly testing her condition.

Some netizens analyzed, “From the actual decisions, Zheng Qinwen’s team shows clear strategic independence. To prepare for the Australian Open, she voluntarily withdrew from the 2026 United Cup to gain more time for recovery and training. She also skipped the Brisbane and Adelaide WTA500 warm-up tournaments. These moves demonstrate the team’s utmost effort to help Zheng recover from injury, but also imply she is likely playing with injury again this year.”

Others remarked, “For professional players, most sponsorship contracts include performance clauses, meaning they must maintain a certain level of results annually. Otherwise, sponsors might terminate or reduce funding. Take last year’s China Open as an example: although Zheng claimed she risked returning to avoid disappointing fans, she has numerous major domestic sponsors, and the China Open is currently the highest-level women’s singles event in China, with significant exposure and commercial value. Many sponsors would definitely be unwilling to see her skip the entire Chinese season.”

In response to doubts, Zheng Qinwen’s team stated that the January 13, 2026 exhibition match against Leylah Fernandez was a carefully designed “stress test”: allowing her to evaluate winter training results and elbow recovery in a near-competitive but controlled environment.

Furthermore, after the exhibition match, she will participate in a “one-point shootout” exhibition. These arrangements help maintain momentum while avoiding the ranking points pressure and injury risks of official matches.

Thus, the entire winter training and preparation plan revolves around “complete recovery.” Additionally, to help Zheng overcome the “psychological trauma” caused by long-term injuries, the team introduced a psychological therapist and meditation training to prepare her mentally. After all, for professional athletes, the mental shadow of injury can sometimes be harder to overcome than physical limitations.

Regardless, from the recovery room after elbow surgery to Melbourne’s Rod Laver Arena, Zheng Qinwen is taking a path few dare to choose—a lonely warrior’s journey. For her, the 2026 Australian Open is not just a Grand Slam event but a battle of courage, science, and faith. Will she be able to overcome heavy doubts and achieve great results at the Australian Open? Let us wait and see.(Source: Tennis Home, Author: Lu Xiaotian)