World Number One Rybakina Withdraws From Season-Ending Tournament Due to Illness

World number one Elena Rybakina has withdrawn from the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) Finals, stating that she is not physically ready to compete. Tournament organisers confirmed on Saturday that a viral illness was the official reason for the decision, noting that the player requires time to recover from a demanding year on the professional circuit.

Tournament director Garbine Muguruza stated that she spoke with Rybakina, who had been dealing with physical problems late in the season. Muguruza recalled that the Kazakh player had also been feeling unwell in Tokyo last month, where she previously withdrew from the quarterfinals of the Pan Pacific Open due to a neck injury.

“We love Elena, and we know that she was feeling so-so in Tokyo as well,” Muguruza told the Reuters news agency. “I spoke to her today, and she really couldn’t recover on time. What we want is for her to feel good, to go rest, to recover. We don’t want her to feel like she has to play — only if she’s ready to.”

Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk will replace Rybakina in the eight-player field at Indian Wells. Kostyuk, who is making her WTA Finals debut following a breakthrough season that included a title in Madrid and entry into the top 10 rankings, was already present at the venue as an alternate.

Although Rybakina's departure removes a prominent competitor from the event, Muguruza expressed confidence in the remaining lineup. The tournament director highlighted the depth of the field and the round-robin format as factors that will maintain high competition levels throughout the event.

“We have the best players,” Muguruza said. “I know our world number one is not going to be able to play, but we have an amazing field, the very best. Every match could be a Grand Slam final. You really need to be ready. You cannot give one inch.”