Rybakina withdraws from Pan Pacific Open due to injury

World No. 1 Elena Rybakina did not take the court against Leylah Fernandez in the Pan Pacific Open quarter-final held in Osaka, due to injury. The Kazakh player withdrew before the first point of the match was played, handing victory to her opponent. With this result, Fernandez advanced to the semi-finals, where she will face Kamilla Rakhimova.

Rybakina said she had been dealing with a minor injury for some time and was struggling to play at 100 percent. She also expressed her wish to maintain her form ahead of an important upcoming tournament. Earlier in the event, she had reached the quarter-finals by beating Yulia Putintseva 6-2, 6-3.

The 27-year-old won two Grand Slam titles this season, at the Australian Open and the US Open. Rybakina also lifted trophies at the Stuttgart and Ningbo tournaments. After her US Open triumph, she rose to world No. 1 for the first time, and she will keep that position in the year-end rankings.

Rybakina, who won Wimbledon in 2022, is missing only the French Open to complete her career Grand Slam. Born in Russia and representing Kazakhstan, she described her year-end success as a very special moment. She will also be presented with a trophy in a special ceremony at the WTA Finals, which will be held in Indian Wells from November 8 to 15.