Elena Rybakina's immediate tennis future unclear after difficulty breathing and high fever prior to Olympic Games withdrawal
WTAWednesday, 31 July 2024 at 18:13
Elena Rybakina looks certain to withdraw from the Canadian Open which is set to begin on August 6. Her immediate tennis future as of right now is also very much unclear after details emerged about her withdrawal from the Olympic Games.
Rybakina released a video earlier on Wednesday where she detailed that she slipped and had a high fever as well as difficulty breathing prior to her Olympic Games withdrawal. The former Wimbledon champion was not sighted in Paris and worries emerged about whether she would play.
Being known for suffering with unfortunate illness, Rybakina was confirmed to be suffering from bronchitis at the time as she returned from a holiday in Turkey to another setback.
"I would like to tell you how upset and sorry I am for not being able to perform as part of the Kazakhstan national team at the Olympic Games in Paris," said Rybakina translated from Russian.
"I trained actively with the team and unfortunately I slipped right before the start of the tournament. I had a high fever, it was difficult to breathe and the doctors strictly forbade me to go out on the court. I would like to apologise to all Kazakh fans for your unfulfilled expectations. This situation touched my heart very much because I had worked hard with my team to achieve good results in these Olympic Games and I wanted to win a medal."
"At the Olympics in Tokyo, I came very close to winning a medal and winning a medal remains a big goal of mine. Hopefully I can get back on the court soon. I would like to express my gratitude to all my compatriots because no matter where I play in the world, you always give me a lot of support. I am always happy to see our blue flag in stadiums."
Elena Rybakina (pictured) took time out in Turkey after Wimbledon but did not return at the Olympic Games as planned.
Further information came out about her condition and also her future tennis plans with Rybakina according to the vice president of the Kazakh Tennis Federation seeing specialists in Vienna. According to the same quotes, she is feeling better but is weak and is recovering in Bratislava. This basically puts any sort of Canada stint on hold as well as travelling to the US likely for Cincinnati.
She defends semi-final points from Toronto and at the moment with everything ongoing sees her US Open plans very much in doubt while she recovers.
"She is feeling better, but she is still weak. She has taken several tests, undergone a full examination by a pulmonologist and other specialists at the Dobling Clinic in Vienna. So far Elena has received a treatment protocol from the doctors and is recovering from her illness in Bratislava where her training base is located."
Samuel GillEditor-in-Chief
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of TennisUpToDate.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces across the TennisUpToDate network, playing a central role in the daily operation and development of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has a broad background in tennis media. In his current role, he works closely with editors and writers to ensure coverage meets clear journalistic standards, with particular attention to verification, consistency, and timely updates when new information becomes available.
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- "This of course a stark change to Rybakina who is obviously more timid..." That just may be the dumbest thing ever written about Lena. For a CCO, Mr. Gill seems to have either made an error in judgement -- or needed filler for this article -- to say something so ridiculous.
mandoist13-09-2026 - “The way I like to put it – no disrespect to anybody – is that this is her house, and all the other girls are just guests, and it’s time for them to go home” Well now... seems John Stacy has made a complete ass of himself. Doubt he'll be receiving any invitations to Lena's "house" any time soon.mandoist13-09-2026
- I am sorry, but Sabalenka has NO EXCUSE for her despicable behaviour. She lacks self and mouth control! The message is being sent but Saba isn't getting it! She is full of arrogance and pride. Hopefully, after this defeat she will be on the way to becoming a humble lady LIKE ELENA! I hope she never regains the world No. 1 until she develops some humility.Rapunzel13-09-2026
- Sabalenka began showing signs of her game gradually 'changing' since last season. I predicted her fascination with posting endless Selfies, participating in commercial media distractions and constant Social Media nonsense could impact her in a negative way. Her off-court Life was sure to interfere with her performace level. Visions of Raducanu, Giorgi, Bouchard come to mind. The Final yesterday was a weird case of polar-opposites. Sabalenka and Rybakina could not be any more different in personalities! Saba often portrays a somewhat fake persona, including her Phony Screaming. Her usual habit of acting like the nice girl with a sense of humor is a misconception. People take her lack of intellect as "cute" and "funny". So anyway... yesterday viewers witnessed that Fake Scream be reduced to a whimper and sometimes no vocal gymnastics at all once she knew the jig was up. We all saw her look into the camera post-match and say "F... You". Also, pretty hard to not see Saba making untoward facial expressions, rolling her eyes, etc., behind Rybakina while on the podium. Elena Rybakina, on the other hand, was her usual 'in-control' self as she spoke clearly and calmly, without making faces nor any ill-will toward anyone = 100% Class Act. Lena appeared more than aware of Saba's sour attitude and made a point of not looking in her direction most of the time. FWIW: I have never -- not ever -- heard Sabalenka make any sounds on practice courts. So it is indeed a nonsensical ruse as she thinks (incorrectly) it affects opponents. It does not. In fact, as was the case yesterday, I saw Lena occasionally take a side-eye glance at Saba on her way to the bench... as if to calculate her emotions. Saba is actually a very easy 'read'.mandoist13-09-2026
- WTA really, really hates this sort of thing. They surely are satisfied to make believe no such thing happens (or happened).mandoist13-09-2026
- WTA and ATP cannot even make their dope testing equal and precise across the board. They sure as hell cannot escape a stituation they themselves made over the ridiculous "penalty" of omitting a player's country flag. Nothing regarding which flags to display (or not) should be a Thing. It proves nothing; solves nothing. If anything, all it did was cause stress, tension, and even outbursts between players in the WTA locker room. Let's not even start with the asinine practice of not shaking hands at the net with "the enemy". There seems to be a general lack of intelligence behind Pro Tennis administrations' Closed Doors. .mandoist13-09-2026
- Big Babe Tennis! Hoping for a good final.DaveyWavey12-09-2026
- Director needs to return to his old "job" at the Australia Open. He's clueless in NYC.mandoist12-09-2026
- You keep writing ridiculous crap... why are you even watching tennis?mandoist12-09-2026
- They probably have a very good reason for this. I do not get it. Annoying that it finishes so late
AceOfBase12-09-2026
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