Elena Rybakina confirms her withdrawal from her next tournament after shock defeat in Beijing, ‘I’m very sorry’

Elena Rybakina has announced her withdrawal from the upcoming Wuhan Open following a shock defeat at the China Open. The world number one player is dealing with an ongoing left foot issue, which has hampered her performance. Rybakina became the second WTA player in history to lose her first match as world number one after her recent loss.

She confirmed the withdrawal in a statement on the Wuhan Open's Instagram, expressing her regret to her fans and assuring them that she will take time to rest and recover. Rybakina, who reached the quarter-finals at last year's Wuhan Open, will forfeit 215 ranking points from her record due to this withdrawal. Her foot problem may also affect her participation in the Ningbo Open, Tokyo Open, and the year-end WTA Finals.

This season has been particularly strong for Rybakina, and her absence may provide an opportunity for fellow top seed Aryna Sabalenka to close the gap on the world number one ranking. However, Sabalenka also faced an early loss at the China Open and is aiming to bounce back as the confirmed top seed in Wuhan.