How Elena Rybakina's bid for World No.1 spot has taken heavy hit after latest withdrawal

Elena Rybakina has had a good 2024 season with a record of 30-5, along with 3 titles and two other finals. The Kazakhstani player ranks second in the WTA Race, behind Iga Swiatek, but has suffered from three withdrawals that have kept her away from the battle for the world No. 1 spot.

The latest withdrawal occurred just before her participation in the Rome Open, a tournament where she was defending her 2023 title. Rybakina will lose 1,000 points after health problems prevented her from competing in the tournament. She withdrew just an hour before her scheduled debut against Romanian Irina Begu.

The 2022 Wimbledon champion has missed out on opportunities to earn points due to injuries. She withdrew before the quarterfinals of the WTA 1000 Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, where she was set to face Jasmine Paolini (the eventual tournament champion).

Two weeks later, she was also absent from Indian Wells, resulting in a loss of 1,000 points as she was defending her 2023 title. Thus, she has had to withdraw from three WTA 1000 tournaments, two of which were where she was defending the title. "I am disappointed to have to withdraw from Rome this year, but unfortunately I do not feel well enough to compete," said Rybakina.

"I have such good memories from last year and was looking forward to defending my title. Rome is so special to me, and I look forward to being back next year to reclaim my title and play in front of the Italian fans," she added.

Despite physical limitations, Rybakina has reached the final stages of almost every tournament she has played in. So far, when she has not faced physical problems, she reached the final five times, the semifinals once, and only suffered an early disappointment in the second round of the Australian Open.