Zheng, Jabeur outline lists of top star withdrawals ahead of Stuttgart

Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen has withdrawn from the upcoming WTA 500 Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart, which begins next week.

Zheng was entered in Stuttgart for a third time in her career, having reached the Round of 16 in a career-best showing last year — losing a dramatic Round of 16 match to Marta Kostyuk. Last time out, the World No. 8 lost to Ekaterina Alexandrova in the quarterfinals of the Credit One Charleston Open — her third straight quarterfinal effort, in her first clay-court tournament of the season. She had previously won her last 13 consecutive clay-court matches.

Also out are Ons Jabeur and Barbora Krejcikova, with continuing leg and back injuries, respectively.

Jabeur retired against Jasmine Paolini in the third round of the Miami Open with the problem, and Krejcikova has not played since reaching the semifinals of the season-ending WTA Finals Riyadh presented by PIF last October.

World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, a three-time Stuttgart finalist, and World No. 2 Iga Swiatek, a two-time champion, headline a field which also includes the entire Top 5 of World No. 3 Jessica Pegula, World No. 4 Coco Gauff and World No. 5 Mirra Andreeva. The projected Top 8 seeds will be rounded out by Paolini, Emma Navarro and Diana Shnaider — the last of whom will debut a new coach, former World No. 1 Dinara Safina, at the tournament.

Slovakia’s Rebecca Sramkova enters the main draw as a result of Zheng’s withdrawal.