Zheng Qinwen was omitted from China’s squad for the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games on Monday, and the China Open now sits just beyond that decision. The move also keeps several other top Chinese players out of the lineup for the September 27 to October 3 tennis tournament.
Chinese Tennis Association Squad
The Chinese Tennis Association left out Zhang Zhizhen, Jerry Shang Juncheng, Bu Yunchaokete and Wang Xinyu as well. Wu Yibing will represent China at the Games for the third time, at 26 years old and ranked world No 99.
That leaves China’s roster with a different shape than many expected. Kong Weiyi, Zhang Tianhui, Chen Ye and Meng Fanming are all 19 or 20 and will make their Asian Games debut.
Wu Yibing And Wang Xiyu
Wu’s selection stands out because he was the 2018 Asian Games silver medallist. He is in a field that will ask younger players to carry more of the load while higher-profile names sit out.
On the women’s side, Wang Xiyu led the squad after reaching the last 16 of the French Open last month. She is currently world No 101, and her selection gives China a singles player with recent form and tournament experience even as Wang Xinyu is absent.
Chengdu, Hangzhou, Beijing
The schedule adds pressure to the decision. The Asian Games tennis tournament overlaps with ATP events in Chengdu and Hangzhou, then the China Open in Beijing follows immediately after the Asian Games ends, with the China Open carrying ATP 500 and WTA 1000 status.
For players left out on Monday, the immediate consequence is simple: they will not be part of China’s Asian Games tennis squad. For those selected, the workload shifts to a compressed run that starts on September 27 and moves straight into the China Open in Beijing.
