Coco Gauff withdraws from Zhengzhou Open with shoulder injury

The US Open champion has pulled out of the final WTA 500 event of the season with the same injury she struggled with during her loss to Iga Swiatek in Beijing

Coco Gauff at the 2023 Porsche Grand Prix Image Credit: Imago / Panoramic

Jamie Malachy

October 8, 2023

Zhengzhou Open •Third round • completed

See draw

B. KrejcikovavsB.

Coco Gauff has withdrawn from the Zhengzhou Open, citing the same shoulder injury that she was visibly struggling with during her semi-final loss in Beijing to Iga Swiatek.

The final WTA 500 event of the season will take place next week, with a strong line-up announced as players look to finish off their 2023 seasons with a flourish.

This is despite the last-minute withdrawal of three big-name participants, with Karolina Muchova and Elena Rybakina also both pulling out of the tournament.

Muchova continues to recover from a right wrist problem, which has been an issue for the Czech since the US Open, while Rybakina has cited a lower back issue for the reason behind her withdrawal.

Main draw in Zhengzhou (WTA 500).

Coco Gauff (right shoulder), Elena Rybakina (low back) and Karolina Muchova (continuing right wrist) withdrew after the draw was made.

Their positions in the draw were taken by the next seeded players without byes. pic.twitter.com/cJeLBM9hSM
— WTA Insider (@WTA_insider) October 8, 2023

All three players have qualified for the season-ending WTA Finals, due to take place in Cancun at the end of the month. After a long and challenging season on tour, most of the top eight players battling it out for supremacy in Mexico look to be prioritising their bodies ahead of one final push at one of the most significant tournaments of the year.

Coco Gauff was hampered by an injury to her right shoulder in a loss to Swiatek last week. Having required a medical time-out and persistent massaging of the shoulder between the change of ends, Gauff then revealed that she been playing through significant pain in her right shoulder from the start of the match.

The same issue has meant that the recent US Open champion will not play in Zhengzhou, and instead works towards being fit and healthy for the WTA Finals.

Gauff, Muchova and Rybakina will each be replaced by another seeded player who has not already received a bye into the second round.

While several of the top eight players in the world will be absent from Zhengzhou, the field still boasts a litany of high-calibre players, including Maria Sakkari, Ons Jabeur, Krejcikova, Garcia and Kudermetova.

All will be highly motivated to make the most of their last chance to win another 500-level title this season.

As all eyes turn to Cancun at the end of the month, there is still unfinished business to be completed on the final leg of the 2023 Asian swing.