Despite playing only half a year, her earnings still exceeded 100 million; CCTV released information about Zheng Qinwen’s recovery after last year’s injury withdrawal from the China Open.

Recently, the sports business media Sportico released the 2025 global female athlete earnings ranking of the top 15. Chinese tennis player Zheng Qinwen ranked fifth with total earnings of $20.6 million (about 149 million RMB), making her one of the most prominent athletes on the list. Notably, only $1.6 million of this amount came from prize money, while the remaining $19 million was generated from off-court commercial endorsements.

On this list, American tennis rising star Gauff topped with $31 million, Belarusian star Sabalenka followed closely with $30 million, and Poland’s Swiatek ranked third with $23.1 million. Chinese freestyle skier Eileen Gu earned $23 million (entirely from off-court income) and ranked fourth, with Zheng Qinwen right behind in fifth place.

Zheng Qinwen’s commercial value continued to be fully demonstrated in 2025. Despite suffering injuries in the latter half of the season, she secured multiple high-profile endorsements including luxury goods, fashion brands, and well-known domestic companies. This trend reflects the current sports business market where athletes’ personal charm, social media influence, and cross-cultural appeal have become key factors for brands.

Contrasting her impressive earnings are the health challenges Zheng Qinwen faced during the 2025 season. According to recent reports from CCTV, she suffered severe recurring elbow injuries during the China Open.

“Before the China Open, Zheng Qinwen’s elbow joint fluid was reduced to only 10%. After playing two matches, the fluid returned to 100%, leading her to withdraw from many subsequent tournaments,” the report revealed. This detail highlights the physical strain athletes endure during intense competition schedules.

The report further stated: “It wasn’t until the end of October that Zheng Qinwen resumed ball training, and her overall recovery condition is currently quite good.” This means she effectively only competed for about half a year, spending the rest of the time in treatment and rehabilitation.

The CCTV report also mentioned a surprising detail: “During a 400-meter test in Wuhan, Zheng Qinwen ran it in 1 minute and 5 seconds without wearing running shoes. Anyone who has trained in athletics knows what this means for a non-track athlete.”

This performance corresponds to the level of a national second-tier athlete, demonstrating Zheng Qinwen’s outstanding overall athletic ability and physical fitness, which also provides a solid foundation for her relatively quick recovery after injury.

Sports marketing expert Zhang Ming analyzed: “Zheng Qinwen’s commercial value is not only based on her performance on the court but also on her image as a representative of China’s new generation of athletes — her international background, fluent English skills, and positive healthy image make her an ideal partner for brands.”

Tennis commentator Li Hua pointed out: “Injuries are an inevitable challenge in an athlete’s career. Zheng Qinwen needs a more scientific approach to managing her schedule, while her team’s success in commercial development offers new ideas for Chinese athletes.”

On social media, netizens engaged in lively discussions: some commented, “Earning over 20 million dollars in just half a year of competition is truly unbeatable in commercial value. Hope Zheng takes good care of her injury and comes back fully recovered next year!” Others said, “Seeing the joint fluid go from 10% back to 100% is heartbreaking. Athletes really have it tough; behind the glamorous appearance lie many pains.” Some also marveled, “A 400-meter time of 1:05? Her physical fitness is incredible, no wonder she moves so well on the court!”

As the year-end approaches, Zheng Qinwen has gradually resumed training to prepare for the 2026 season. Recently, she has actively posted videos and photos of her winter training on her personal social media platforms. From these updates, it is clear that China’s top female player is nearing full health, and it is believed that it won’t be long before fans see her back on the court. Her team stated that next season will feature a more scientific competition schedule to balance performance and health.

However, some netizens have pointed out that maintaining competitive level while reasonably developing commercial value and preserving health should be a key issue for her and her team. After all, the main reason for this elbow injury was the lack of sufficient rest after last year’s year-end finals, followed by intense winter training that caused excessive physical strain leading to injury.

Although Zheng Qinwen’s 2025 season was hampered by injuries, her market performance undoubtedly injected new confidence and expectations into China’s sports industry. The coming year of 2026 is certainly one to look forward to.(Source: Tennis Home, Author: Lu Xiaotian)