Five Top 20 Players Among Withdrawals From 2025 Ningbo Open

The WTA Ningbo Open got underway on Monday. 2020 Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin is already out after being thrashed 1-6 0-6 by McCartney Kessler. The top four seeds, Mirra Andreeva, Jasmine Paolini, Elena Rybakina, and Ekaterina Alexandrova, who received byes into the Round of 16, will start their campaigns on Wednesday. Those top seeds would have been different had it not been for the tournament’s list of withdrawals.

Three high-profile Americans withdraw from the Ningbo Open

Amanda Anisimova would have been the top seed at the Ningbo Open. She has risen up the rankings in 2025 after a superb season, including being the runner-up at Wimbledon and the US Open. The world No. 4 also won her maiden WTA 1000 titles at the Qatar Open and a few weeks ago at the China Open.

That title run in Beijing allowed Anisimova to qualify for the WTA Finals. After being confirmed for the year-end championships, she withdrew from the Wuhan Open and Ningbo Open. Although she listed a calf injury as the reason, her WTA Finals qualification may also have played a role.

Jessica Pegula’s story seems similar. The 2024 US Open runner-up, who would have been the No. 2 seed in Ningbo, lost the Wuhan Open final against Coco Gauff, who broke a record in the process. However, Pegula still sealed her place at the WTA Finals with that run. She was the sixth player to qualify for the prestigious tournament. Rather than play more in China, Pegula will rest and recover in the U.S. for the next few weeks.

Emma Navarro was the third American to withdraw from the Ningbo Open. Her faint hopes of qualifying for the WTA Finals ended in Wuhan. This year’s Merida Open champion lost to Shuai Zhang in the round of 16. Although unconfirmed, it would be surprising if Navarro played again in 2025.

Which other players withdrew from the Ningbo Open, and who were the replacements?

The home fans in Ningbo were left disappointed when Qinwen Zheng decided to withdraw. After a few months out with an elbow injury, Zheng returned at the China Open. Unfortunately, she aggravated that physical issue in Beijing and removed herself from the Wuhan Open and Ningbo Open entry lists.

Elina Svitolina was the fifth and final Top 20 player to withdraw from the Ningbo Open. The Ukrainian, who last played at the US Open, announced she was ending her season because of not being in the right state of mind to compete. Her husband, Gael Monfils, recently revealed that 2026 will be his final year as a professional player.

2024 Ningbo Open champion Daria Kasatkina also cannot play at the Chinese event because she ended her season early. In a powerful statement, last year’s winner said she was at a breaking point because of the calendar’s intensity and was stepping away for a much-needed break.

Paula Badosa was the other player to withdraw from the Ningbo Open. The Spaniard’s injury nightmare continued when she retired in the China Open round of 32 against Karolina Muchova. Hopefully, the former world No. 2’s luck improves in 2026, and fans will be treated to her powerful style more consistently.

2021 US Open winner Emma Raducanu, Sofia Kenin, National Bank Open winner Victoria Mboko, Dayana Yastremska, Veronika Kudermetova, Magda Linette, and Xinyu Wang replaced those players at the Ningbo Open.