Zheng Qinwen could face a tough draw at the French Open this weekend, after crashing out of top 50 for the first time in almost four years.

A drop of 21 spots in the latest rankings, which were released on Monday, has sent Zheng to 53rd in the world, meaning she will be unseeded for the year’s second grand slam.

The Olympic gold medallist, who won at Roland Garros during the 2024 Games in Paris, could now face the likes of 2025 runner-up Aryna Sabalenka or four-time winner Iga Swiatek, in the first or second round.

Still not fully recovered from an elbow injury sustained last year, Zheng was sent into her rankings free fall by her loss to former French Open winner Jelena Ostapenko in the third round of the Italian Open last week.

The Hubei native, who reached the semi-finals in Rome last year and pocketed 390 ranking points, lost 325 of those with the early exit and slipped from her pre-tournament position of No 32, which would have kept her just inside the seeded bracket.

A quarter-finalist in Paris last year, Zheng has reportedly avoided playing in any tournaments in the week leading up to the French Open and was training behind closed doors in Paris instead.