Illness forces Rybakina to withdraw from WTA Finals
World number 1 Elena Rybakina withdraws from the WTA Finals due to viral illness, ending her bid for back-to-back titles.
Elena Rybakina announced she would not defend her WTA Finals crown on the eve of the tournament starting Sunday. Rybakina, 27, is from Kazakhstan and won the Australian Open and US Open in 2026, making her the year's top-ranked player.
She had been seeking to win the WTA Finals in back-to-back years, which would have made her the first player since 2014 to do so. She said her body is simply not ready to compete.
She plans to rest at home and prepare for 2027. Her season saw her win 54 of 68 matches.
She won 17 of 19 Grand Slam matches and holds the tour-leading serve statistics with 438 aces. She also ended Sabalenka's 99-week hold on the world number 1 ranking after beating the Belarusian in the US Open final.
- Elena Rybakina
- Player
- 27, Kazakhstan
- Age and nationality
- 99 weeks
- Sabalenka's #1 ranking streak
- 438
- Aces this season
Why it mattersHer withdrawal reshapes the WTA Finals field, removing the defending champion and top seed from the tournament and opening the door for other contenders.
AustraliaThe Australian Open champion will miss defending her WTA Finals title, marking the first time this year she has withdrawn from a major event.
Corroborated byespn.com.au
