Yearender: Chinese tennis battles injury setbacks but grassroots boom continues

by sportswriters Li Bowen and Yue Wenwan BEIJING, Dec. 24 (Xinhua) -- After a season of historic breakthroughs and unprecedented attention, Chinese tennis spent much of 2025 plagued with injuries at the elite level while a young generation of players began to make its mark. ELITE PLAYERS STRUGGLING WITH INJURIES 2024 Australian Open finalist Zheng Qinwen suffered a shock second-round exit in Melbourne in January, later revealing she had played through an elbow injury. The problem lingered throughout a fragmented campaign. Zheng's match count fell from 78 in 2024 to just 41 in 2025. She underwent surgery on her right elbow after Wimbledon and was sidelined for two months. Her China Open...