Injuries plague the women's circuit: setback in Beijing

Carlos Navarro - 29 Sep 2026 | 08:49
WTA Pekín 2026 Amanda Anisimova Alexandra Eala jessica pegula lesiones

Total crisis of absenteeism in the women's circuit: the list of absences in Beijing, the first WTA 1000 after the US Open, far exceeds double digits. Should anything be changed?

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Eala, down in Beijing for a surprising reason.

The WTA has been completely ravaged by injuries following the US Open 2026. A different moment in the season opens up, a time of rush and eagerness to reach certain positions, a fierce battle for a spot in the WTA Finals, but also a moment when many players let themselves go... and others feel the accumulated fatigue of a wild year, with very few weeks of rest in the calendar and a tour that requires costly and demanding travel and sacrifice.

We have rarely seen such a long list of withdrawals as the one we will have this year at the WTA Beijing 2026. Despite being the first mandatory tournament after the last Slam of the year, as well as the crown jewel of the Asian tour, numerous names have withdrawn from attending the Chinese capital, with various reasons that differ in severity depending on the players affected. Among the names that will not compete in Beijing are six players from the top-20, but the list spreads like a virus: there are up to 17 absences from the original list, a figure that may be too high for the WTA itself to appreciate.

These are all the withdrawals at the WTA Beijing: 17 absences including Anisimova and Eala

The last to announce her absence was Amanda Anisimova, who has a significant cross to bear: she will not be participating for the rest of the year, bringing an end to a very inconsistent 2026 in which she could not reach the heights achieved last year. This is a relevant withdrawal, as we are talking about the defending champion: a wrist injury leaves her out of action and sends her beyond the top-15 in the WTA ranking.

She will not be the only one not participating in this illustrious event: Alexandra Eala, the big media sensation of the circuit in 2026, is perhaps the most bizarre absence. The Filipino athlete will not participate due to her commitment to the Asian Games, creating an ongoing conflict yet to be resolved that could lead to ranking penalties. Her case may be emblematic: it highlights the ongoing conflict that many players feel with this tour, prioritizing defending their country's colors over participating in a demanding stretch of the year where many players are already in deep waters.

Not only are there recent cases: we also find long-term withdrawals, such as those of Hailey Baptiste and Victoria Mboko, although the trickle of injured players has been constant, with Sorana Cirstea and Elisabetta Cocciaretto being the latest victims. The most notable also include, among the twenty best rackets in the world, Jessica Pegula, who cited "fatigue" as the reason for not traveling to Asian lands, and Marta Kostyuk, another addition to the long list of players suffering from wrist issues. Perhaps it is time for the WTA to start considering certain aspects of the calendar... while its product devalues and shows an alarming lack of sustainability.

Complete list of withdrawals from WTA Beijing 2026

  • Jessica Pegula (#3 in the world: fatigue)

  • Marta Kostyuk (#10: wrist injury)

  • Amanda Anisimova (#11: wrist injury)

  • Victoria Mboko (#15: left knee injury)

  • Sorana Cirstea (#16: calf injury)

  • Alexandra Eala (#18: participation in the Asian Games)

  • Madison Keys (#23: no reason announced)

  • Emma Navarro (#24: no reason announced)

  • Hailey Baptiste (#39: anterior cruciate ligament injury)

  • Barbora Krejcikova (#44: back injury)

  • Karolina Pliskova (#49: didn't want to travel to Asia)

  • Zhang Shuai (#55: participation in the Asian Games)

  • Jaqueline Cristian (#58: no reason announced)

  • Tereza Valentova (#61: hip injury)

  • Elisabetta Cocciaretto (#71: injury during the BJK Cup)

  • McCartney Kessler (#72: back injury)

  • Emma Raducanu (#98: stress fracture in right leg)

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Las lesiones azotan al circuito femenino: descalabro en Pekín