Elena Rybakina withdraws from Wuhan Open with Foot Injury

Elena Rybakina has withdrawn from the Wuhan Open because of a foot injury, just one day after suffering a surprise defeat at the China Open.

The world No. 1 was due to play in Wuhan next week, but she will now take some time away from competition to recover. The Wuhan Open confirmed that Rybakina’s withdrawal was because of a foot injury.

“I’m very sorry to the fans who were looking forward to seeing me play,” Rybakina said. “I’ll take some time to rest and recover. Thank you for your understanding and continued support. See you next year.” 

The timing comes after a difficult weekend for Rybakina in Beijing. The Kazakh, playing her first tournament as the new world No. 1, was beaten by world No. 118 Alina Charaeva in the second round of the China Open.

Rybakina had already been dealing with a lingering foot problem before the China Open. She admitted before the tournament that she could still feel the injury during practice, although she decided to compete.

The 27-year-old has had a remarkable season. She won her third Grand Slam title at the US Open last month, beating Aryna Sabalenka in the final, and then moved to No. 1 in the world rankings. She has also already qualified for the WTA Finals.

Rybakina is now expected to target a return at the Ningbo Open, where she is the defending champion. The WTA 500 tournament is scheduled for October 19-25.

For now, though, the priority is getting the foot right before returning to the court.