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The 2025 edition of the Wuhan Open is almost upon us. The 10th and final WTA 1000 tournament promises to be a cracker with the likes of Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff, and Amanda Anisimova set to be the top seeds. That said, the Chinese fans will unfortunately miss out on a few stars as well.
Reigning Australian Open champion Madison Keys was the first player in the top 10 WTA rankings who was confirmed to miss this year's 1000-level event in Wuhan. The American hasn't played on the pro tour since suffering a jarring first-round defeat at the US Open.
For what it's worth though, Keys isn't the only top 10 player to sit out of the Wuhan Open next week. Below, we take a look at five players who have withdrawn from the hardcourt tournament:
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#1 Madison Keys
Madison Keys' chronic shoulder injury that forced her Australian Open withdrawal last year is seemingly back to haunt her. The World No. 6 had sealed her place at the WTA Finals earlier in 2025 after securing her maiden Major title in Melbourne. She is now in a race against time to be fit for the year-end championships, which will begin in November.
Since the Wuhan Open's inception in 2014, the 30-year-old reached just one quarterfinal - in 2016 - while compiling an overall 5-6 win/loss record at the 1000-level event. She also withdrew from the tournament in 2019 and had exited in the first round last year.
#2 Zheng Qinwen (2024 Wuhan Open runner-up)
Zheng Qinwen, meanwhile, saw her 2025 season derailed after her Wimbledon campaign in July, when she announced that she was taking a break to get surgery done on an injured right elbow. Although the Chinese star made her much-awaited comeback at the China Open, she cast doubts on the state of her elbow with her eventual third-round retirement, which was followed by her Wuhan Open withdrawal earlier on Friday (October 3).
Seeded fifth and playing in the main draw of the WTA 1000 tournament for the first time last year, the 22-year-old beat some quality opponents to reach her first-ever final at the level - losing to then-two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka. Needless to say, she will be sorely missed by her most devout local fans in Wuhan.
#3 Elina Svitolina
Elina Svitolina started the year on a strong note by making a few deep runs at big tournaments between January and May. However, a recent hip injury has stalled the Ukrainian's momentum, and likely also contributed to her first-round defeats in Cincinnati and New York.
The World No. 12 has yet to play a competitive match since the US Open, having foregone her participation in the Asian tennis swing, which include the China Open and the Wuhan Open. She has an especially good record in Wuhan, having reached the semifinals and the quarterfinals in 2014 and 2019, respectively.
#4 Paula Badosa
Paula Badosa has had a tough time with injuries since 2023, which saw her miss three of the four Major tournaments that year due to a stress fracture in her back. While the issue had recurred recently, the Spaniard was forced to bring the curtains down on her 2025 season earlier this week due to a left hip injury that also forced her Beijing withdrawal.
For academic purposes, the former World No. 2's participation has always been marred, as evidenced by her 2019 and 2024 withdrawals. While the 27-year-old missed out on her spot in the qualifying draw at the former tournament as a result of her still competing at the 2019 Seoul Open the same week, she sat out of the latter due to a bout with gastroenteritis.
#5 Daria Kasatkina
Daria Kasatkina, on her part, has suffered from form issues for a large majority of the year, more recently having gone on a three-match losing streak. As it turns out, the Russian has been nursing a lower back injury since some time now, which led to her pulling out from the 2025 Wuhan Open earlier this week.
Although the World No. 20 has never gone past the third round in her five career appearances, she had a positive win/loss record of 7-5 at the WTA 1000 tournament.
