Elena Rybakina‘s stunning China Open loss may have carried a warning sign beyond the scoreboard.
One day after the world No. 1 was upset by No. 118 Alina Charaeva in Beijing, Rybakina withdrew from the Wuhan Open because of a foot injury, extending a difficult start to her first stretch atop the WTA rankings.
The Wuhan Open announced Rybakina’s withdrawal Sunday, saying the 27-year-old would miss the WTA 1000 event because of the injury.
Rybakina later addressed the decision in a statement shared by the tournament.
“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.”
The withdrawal comes at an important point in Rybakina’s season, but the foot problem itself isn’t new.
Elena Rybakina Revealed Foot Problem After China Open Loss
Rybakina acknowledged before the China Open that she had been managing a lingering foot issue.
Rest following her U.S. Open championship had helped, she said, but the discomfort returned once she resumed practicing in Beijing.
“Now I’m back on the court, I still feel it here and there,” Rybakina said before the tournament.
The problem became more notable after her first match as the world’s top-ranked player.
Rybakina won the opening set against Charaeva before the Armenian qualifier completed a stunning 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 comeback in two hours, 11 minutes.
Afterward, Rybakina revealed that she had felt discomfort late in the match.
“I felt my foot a little bit at the end of the match,” she said. “So it’s time to rest a little bit and see what is next in the upcoming weeks.”
Less than 24 hours later, Wuhan was off her schedule.
There is no indication Rybakina blamed the injury for her defeat. She credited Charaeva, who became the lowest-ranked player since the WTA rankings were introduced in 1975 to rally from a set down and defeat the world No. 1.
Still, the timing puts Rybakina’s health back under scrutiny.
Rybakina’s Foot Injury Has Lingered for Months
The lower-leg and foot problem has already interrupted Rybakina’s season.
She retired from her Cincinnati quarterfinal against Iga Swiatek in August because of the issue but recovered in time for a remarkable run at the U.S. Open.
Rybakina defeated Aryna Sabalenka to capture her third Grand Slam championship, climb to No. 1 for the first time and secure qualification for the season-ending WTA Finals.
What followed was a whirlwind stretch of travel and obligations that left little time for recovery.
Rybakina admitted after the China Open loss that she hadn’t gotten much sleep or recovery following her U.S. Open triumph.
Wuhan, then, became an easy place to draw the line.
Rybakina reached the quarterfinals there last season but will sacrifice the opportunity to defend those ranking points rather than push through another WTA 1000 event.
Her next scheduled tournament is the Ningbo Open, where she is the defending champion.
Whether she makes that return will depend on how the foot responds.
For now, the message from the world’s No. 1 is clear: After trying to push through the problem in Beijing, Rybakina is choosing recovery over another immediate test.
Elena Rybakina Makes Stunning Announcement After China Open Upset