China's Zheng Qinwen reacts on a point against Germany's Laura Siegemund during their women's singles match at the Australian Open in Melbourne on January 15, 2025. Photo: VCG

China's Zheng Qinwen was stunned by Laura Siegemund of Germany 7-6 (3), 6-3 in the second round of the women's singles at the Australian Open on Wednesday.

The match, which lasted 2 hours and 16 minutes, saw Zheng deliver 11 aces but only win 28 service points, compared to her opponent's 44.

Zheng, a finalist at the Australian Open in 2024, did not play any competitive matches in the buildup to 2025's first Grand Slam after finishing the WTA Finals in November 2024.

"My off-season training started very late because I needed to give my body enough time to recover," Zheng said. 

"During winter training my team and I even discussed whether I should compete in the Australian Open. They suggested I focus on a full recovery, but I insisted that it's a Grand Slam and I wanted to give it a try."

Despite her determination, Zheng, who enjoyed a breakthrough 2024 highlighted by defeating then world No.1 Iga Swiatek on her way to winning Olympic gold medal in Paris and claiming three WTA titles, admitted she was not in optimal condition on Wednesday. 

"I am still carrying an injury - it's a mild pain that occasionally affects me and hasn't fully healed yet. My elbow has been a little hurt, and I hope to recover quickly after this tournament. Not playing warm-up matches [before the Australian Open] didn't matter much to me, but I just didn't perform well today," she said.

A controversial serve penalty during the match also added fuel to her struggles. 

Zheng, known for her powerful serves, was given a serve penalty in the fourth game during the second set when she was trailing 30-15. The referee called a second serve time violation of the 25-second timer that cost her the first serve, a move that saw Zheng briefly well up in tears.

The 22-year-old had a lengthy argument with the chair umpire, complaining that she could not see the serve clock, to no avail. Zheng then completely fluffed the subsequent second serve and then double-faulted on break point to hand a crucial 3-1 advantage to Siegemund.  

But Zheng insisted that it was not an excuse for the loss though the referee's call distracted her.

"It caught me off guard, and I was confused. From where I stood, I couldn't see the serve clock because the net was blocking it. The referee's decision affected my focus, but I hope to be more aware of the time next time," Zheng said.

"In all my time playing professional tournaments, I've never received a time violation warning, let alone been penalized with a second serve." 

Comparing 2025's outcome to her runner-up finish in 2024, Zheng remains pragmatic. 

"The circumstances are different this time because I played through an injury," Zheng said. "I was curious to see how far I could go even with these challenges. I still believe I had a chance to win despite the injury, but it did affect my performance and limited my training."

Reflecting on her priorities, Zheng emphasized the importance of health. 

"Today's loss made me deeply realize that without a healthy body, I can't play my best at tennis. I need to focus on recovery first before thinking about anything else."

Wednesday's result means Zheng is the women's first seeded player in the top eight to be knocked out of the Australian Open. Zheng is currently the world No.5 in the WTA rankings.

2025's Australian Open featured a record-high participation of 11 Chinese players in the main draw. However, after the first round, only female players Zheng, veteran Zhang Shuai, Wang Xiyu, and Wang Yafan remained in contention, keeping China's hopes alive in the tournament.

The three other Chinese female players will continue their second-round games at Melbourne Park on Thursday.