Another one bites the dust: Rybakina, yet again, withdraws

Elena Rybakina will miss the entire Asian Swing due to an ongoing back injury. The 2022 Wimbledon champion recently announced her split with coach Stefano Vukov just days before the start of the US Open, in the midst of a season plagued by injuries.

The tennis world is wondering what is happening with Elena Rybakina, as she continues to withdraw from tournaments. At the recent US Open, she had a strong first-round debut but did not show up for her second-round match due to injury. This was the sixth time this season that the Kazakh player has had to withdraw from a tournament, or even during a match.

Rybakina has already retired mid-tournament at the Berlin Ladies Open, Eastbourne International, Dubai, and the US Open. She also had to withdraw shortly before the start of the WTA 1000 Rome Open and Indian Wells. The latest withdrawals from her schedule include two more WTA 1000 events: Beijing and Wuhan.

Little information has been provided about Rybakina, who has cited injuries and illnesses to explain her frequent withdrawals. The 25-year-old has a strong record of 41-9 (82%) this season, claiming three titles and reaching two more finals, demonstrating her usual effectiveness when on court.

“Due to an ongoing back injury, I regretfully have to withdraw from the upcoming Asian tournaments. While I’ve been working hard on my recovery, my medical team and I have decided it's best to prioritize my health at this time,” she stated. “This has been a challenging year, and I am grateful for the support from the tournament organizers and all of my fans. My team and I will work on getting me back on the court before the season finale.”

Rybakina is 3rd in the Race (only behind the already qualified Swiatek and Sabalenka), and even though she won't compete in the Asian swing, she is practically qualified for the WTA Finals. After the tournaments in China, she could secure her qualification even without playing, depending on the results of her main rivals.

Last year, Rybakina reached the semifinals of the China Open (the only tournament she played in Asia), so she will lose 390 points in the WTA ranking. Rybakina has not set a date for her return, but considering she won’t be traveling to Asia, the only tournaments left outside of Asia are the WTA 250 in Mérida (starting October 28) and then the WTA Finals.