'I'm not tempted to go': Former world No.1's honest explanation for Asia no-show
Two-time Grand Slam finalist Karolína Plíšková has skipped the upcoming WTA 1000 event in Wuhan because there is "not that much of a motivation" to compete.
The former world No. 1 returned to the Tour at the 2026 Australian Open after a year-long absence due to serious left ankle ligament and tendon damage.
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Plíšková, 34, has since shot back up the rankings, where she currently ranks 51st.
Her last match was at the US Open nearly one month ago, going down to 15th seed Diana Shnaider in the second round in straight sets despite holding a 3-0 lead in set two.
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The upcoming Asian swing is the last stretch for most players before the season ends, but an interview with Czech outlet Tenisový Svět after her US Open defeat explains why Plíšková is absent from the Wuhan entry list.
"You're trying to motivate me. So I'll go!" Plíšková said, laughing. "It's true that I would probably play for that there. But then again, it's not that much of a motivation for me to just go to China for a month and a half. Those tournaments are too long.
"Honestly, I'm not tempted to go to Asia for six weeks at the end of the season. I'm not saying I won't go there, but I'm not saying I will go there either.
"You can't take it as if the points are lying on the ground there. These are still the biggest tournaments, and even if the players are tired at the end of the year, they try to win something there at the end of the year, because the points then last you the whole year."
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