Elena Rybakina withdraws from Tokyo tournament
Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina has withdrawn from the quarterfinals of the WTA 500 tournament in Tokyo due to injury, shortly after securing the yearend world No. 1 ranking for the first time in her career, Qazinform News Agency reports.
Rybakina, Kazakhstan's top-ranked tennis player and the new world No. 1, was scheduled to face Canada's Leylah Fernandez in the quarterfinals but was forced to pull out of the tournament due to injury.
The Women's Tennis Association (WTA) confirmed her withdrawal and wished her a speedy recovery.
"Get better soon, Elena! Leylah Fernandez advances to the semifinals in Tokyo after Rybakina withdraws due to injury," the WTA said in a statement.
Despite the setback, Elena Rybakina reached a historic milestone, having accumulated enough ranking points to move beyond the reach of her closest rivals. She is now guaranteed to finish the 2026 season as world No. 1 for the first time in her career.
Rybakina also expressed her delight at securing the yearend world No. 1 ranking for the first time in her career, thanking fans for their support throughout the season and expressing hope that she could maintain the same high level of performance next year.
The Kazakhstani tennis star will now focus on recovering ahead of the WTA Finals, scheduled to begin on November 8.
Earlier, Kazakhstan's Yulia Putintseva advanced to the 2nd round of the Toray Pan Pacific Open.
