Elena Rybakina has withdrawn from another tournament with fans left concerned over the 2022 Wimbledon champion. The world No. 4 has pulled out of the Seoul WTA 500 event just weeks after heading home from the US Open with an undisclosed injury.
Rybakina has withdrawn from several events this year, citing injuries and illnesses among her reasons. After her first-round victory at the US Open, the Kazakhstan star pulled out, telling fans that she needed to recover from injuries.
She said in a statement: “Unfortunately, I have to withdraw from my match today due to my injuries… I did not want to finish the last Grand Slam of the year this way, but I have to listen to my body, and I hope I can close out the remainder of the year strong.”
No reason has yet been given for Rybakina’s withdrawal from the Seoul tournament. Zhang Shuai has been placed in the main draw of the competition.
Tennis coach and former player Rennae Stubbs has speculated that there could be more to Rybakina’s withdrawals, believing the situation is “very unusual”.
Speaking about Rybakina’s withdrawal during ESPN’s coverage of the US Open, Stubbs said: “There’s something obviously going on here. I don’t want to speculate, but this is a very unusual situation. Eight withdrawals this year, undisclosed injury now at US Open. I just think there’s something more going on here.
“This is not a normal situation. I’ve seen her over the last couple of days. She hasn’t looked great. I’ve seen her for years on the tour. I know what she looks like when she’s happy, when she’s healthy, when she’s playing well.
“When she’s playing well, on this surface, she’s one of if not the best player in the world. So what’s going on with her? I think it’s a lot more than we realise.
“This is terrible. It’s sad. She’s such a nice person. She’s so nice to be around all the time. We wish her well and hope she can find whatever she needs to.”
Rybakina’s withdrawal from the US Open came days after she announced her split from long-term coach Stefano Vukov. The pair initially linked up in 2019 and had a successful partnership, including winning Wimbledon in 2022 and reaching the final of the 2023 Australian Open.