World No.1 Rybakina withdraws from WTA Finals
The defending champion says she is 'not physically ready to compete' in the traditional season-ender due to a viral illness.
Kazakh tennis star Elena Rybakina has pulled out of the WTA Finals in Indian Wells due to a viral illness, according to a statement released on Saturday. The world's top-ranked player, who claimed the number one position in September following her US Open victory, cited her body's lack of readiness as the reason for her withdrawal. Rybakina expressed her disappointment in her decision to miss the traditional season finale, stating that she intends to focus on resting and preparing for the 2027 season.
The tournament, which was originally set to take place in Saudi Arabia before being relocated to Indian Wells in July, will now feature Ukraine's Marta Kostyuk in Rybakina's place in Group One. Rybakina secured her first-ever world number one ranking in September after winning the US Open, but had to withdraw from the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo due to a neck injury just a day later.
This was the same event where she had also won the year-end championship, adding three Grand Slam titles to her impressive resume - two at the Australian Open and one at Wimbledon.
Despite her withdrawal, Rybakina praised the WTA Finals, calling it "a very special tournament" and wishing everyone luck with their upcoming matches. She looked forward to returning to the Indian Wells tournament in March.
Written by urgent.news from Free Malaysia Today's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
