The China Open has been overshadowed by a wave of retirements and walkovers, once again fueling doubts about the sustainability of the grueling tennis calendar. Across the WTA 1000 and ATP 500 events in Beijing, there have already been seven instances where players or doubles teams were forced to retire mid-match or hand opponents a walkover.
This update arrives amid growing unease about the relentless schedule, with Iga Świątek’s recent remarks drawing particular attention.
Who All Have Retired From the China Open So Far?
One of the most notable players to retire mid-match was home favorite Zheng Qinwen. The Chinese star, who underwent elbow surgery in July and had not played since Wimbledon, opened with a commanding straight-sets win in Beijing but appeared in discomfort during her third-round clash with Linda Noskova.
Trailing 4-6, 6-3, 0-3, Zheng requested a medical timeout. Yet within 25 seconds of speaking with the physio, she indicated her withdrawal, with the elbow examination hinting at a troubling recurrence of her injury.
The wave of retirements was just beginning on the women’s side. Loïs Boisson of France retired early, trailing 2-6, 0-1 against world No. 17 Emma Navarro, and Świątek’s third-round clash ended prematurely when Camila Osorio withdrew with an abdominal injury.
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However, the toll on players’ bodies was evident in the men’s draw as well. Czech rising star Jakub Menšík retired in his quarterfinal against Australia’s Alex De Minaur, trailing 4-1, after visibly struggling with his knee and taking a medical timeout. Menšík later acknowledged how grueling the past few days had been and admitted his knee needed time to recover.
In addition, fourth seed Lorenzo Musetti was forced to retire mid-match due to a thigh injury. On the doubles side, top seeds Lloyd Glasspool and Julian Cash handed a walkover to Andrey Rublev and Karen Khachanov in the quarterfinals of the ATP 500 event.
This string of worrying retirements continued a day after Spain’s Paula Badosa and Czechia’s Barbora Krejčíková were forced to retire mid-match against Karolína Muchová and the U.S.’s McCartney Kessler, respectively.
What Did Iga Świątek Say Amid the Concerning Wave of Retirement at the 2025 China Open?
Świątek recently voiced concerns over the congested schedule and the strict WTA rules players must follow, after her third-round opponent, Osorio, retired with an abdominal injury at 6-0, 0-0.
The world No. 2 stressed how exhausting the season has been, even hinting she might skip certain mandatory events to protect her health. She later underlined players’ difficulty managing the packed calendar, insisting that safeguarding health must take precedence over compulsory participation.
“I don’t think any top player will actually be able to achieve this, for example, playing the six 500 tournaments. It’s just impossible to squeeze it in the schedule. I think we have to be smart about it, not really unfortunately care about the rules and just think what’s healthy for us. Yeah, it’s tough,” she said.
Świątek explained that with her decision to play all mandatory tournaments, her focus is on recovery and relying on her experienced team for support. However, she acknowledged being physically fine but pointed out the rising injuries caused by an overly demanding season.
“The only thing I can do now, when I decided I’m going to play all these mandatory tournaments, is to just take care of my body, take care of the recovery. I have a good team around me also that is helping me with that. I’m experienced enough to know kind of what to do. So physically I am good. But yeah, there are a lot of injuries. I think it is because the season is too long and too intense,” Świątek added.
The relentless tour schedule and its impact on players’ bodies have been a recurring concern. Prominent figures recently speaking out include veteran Rennae Stubbs and world No. 3 Alexander Zverev, whose critiques of the congested calendar have drawn significant attention.
