World No.2 Rybakina retires from Cincinnati clash with Swiatek

Cincinnati Masters quarter-final saw World No.2 Elena Rybakina withdraw from the match against Iga Swiatek due to an injury on Thursday. The Kazakh player, trailing 4-1 in the opening set, was unable to put weight on her left heel and retired after one more point. This injury, occurring just 10 days before the US Open, pushes Swiatek into a semi-final clash with third-seeded Jessica Pegula.

Pegula had already defeated Amanda Anisimova in the previous round. Rubakina, a two-time Grand Slam winner, would have become the world's number one for the first time in her career if she had won the Cincinnati final, following Aryna Sabalenka's early exit. Swiatek expressed concern for Rybakina's well-being, stating, "Honestly, I was feeling anxious just looking at this situation.

I hope that she will be fine. Obviously the net tournament is the priority. I know this one is important as well, but US Open is US Open and I hope she's going to be ready for that. She's also super-close to being number one in the world, so it's a shame."