Zheng Qinwen of China in action against Antonia Ruzic of Croatia in the second round on Day 4 of the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells Tennis Garden on March 7, 2026 in Indian Wells, California. Photo: VCG

China's tennis star Zheng Qinwen fell in the second round of the Indian Wells Open on Sunday, losing 6-4, 7-5 to Croatia's Antonia Ruzic and missing out on a place in the round of 32 as she continued her gradual return from injury.

The 23-year-old Ruzic edged Zheng in 1 hour and 54 minutes by playing her best when it mattered. Both players had nine break-point chances during the contest, but Ruzic won four to Zheng's two. She erased an early break deficit at 3-2 to win the first set, and in the second, regrouped after Zheng won three straight games to knot the score from 5-2 behind.

Speaking after the match, Zheng said the defeat was largely due to her own performance.

"This loss was mainly due to many things I didn't do well myself, including handling key points and controlling the rhythm of the match. Overall, I feel that I haven't fully gotten into a competitive state yet."

According to Zheng, she had deliberately limited serving practice in recent days to protect her elbow, which resulted in a less stable serve during the match, something she said will need to be improved gradually through training.

Zheng underwent surgery on her right elbow in July 2025 and missed several tournaments, including the US Open. Although she briefly returned during the China Open in 2025, she was forced to withdraw during the third round due to the injury. She subsequently withdrew from a number of events, including the 2026 Australian Open.

Her official return to the tour came in February at the Qatar Open in Doha, where she reached the round of 16.

Despite the loss Sunday, Zheng said she was encouraged by the physical progress she has made.

"If we talk about results, of course this is not what I wanted," she said. "But regarding the injury, I'm actually happy." After the match, her pain didn't increase, which she noted is a very positive sign for her. It means in future training she can gradually increase the length of her serving practice.

At the Sunday match, Zheng started slowly and missed multiple opportunities early in the first set. Both players traded service breaks in the middle stages, but Ruzic delivered another break late in the set to take it 6-4.

In the second set, the Croatian broke serve early and moved ahead 5-2. Zheng mounted a comeback, winning three consecutive games to level the score at 5-5. But Ruzic capitalized on Zheng's unforced errors in the 12th game, converting her third match point to close the set 7-5.

The victory marked another milestone in Ruzic's recent strong run. Ruzic earned her first win over a top-30 player in February by defeating Emma Raducanu in the first round in Dubai. Two days later, the Croatian also claimed her first top-10 victory after Elena Rybakina retired early in the third set of their round-of-16 match at the Dubai tournament.

Sports scholar Luo Le of Beijing University of Chemical Technology told the Global Times that athletes returning from long-term injuries often require time to regain their competitive rhythm.

"From the perspective of sports training, form cannot return instantly," Luo said. "After injuries, athletes need to gradually rebuild their physical condition and match rhythm. This process takes time, and it's something every professional athlete has to face."

Fans should take a more understanding approach and provide her a more supportive public environment, added Luo.

Zheng recently added former Marcos Baghdatis, the 2006 Australian Open men's singles runner-up, to her coaching team, in the hopes that the former Cypriot star can bring fresh perspectives to her game.