Elena Rybakina has withdrawn from the Tokyo tournament because of a neck injury. The Kazakh had secured the year-end world No. 1 ranking and was due to play Leylah Fernandez after reaching the quarterfinals.
Rybakina earned her place in the last eight by defeating compatriot Yulia Putintseva 6-2, 6-3 in her opening match. She appeared on court before the scheduled match against Fernandez to tell the crowd she would be unable to play, saying she had been dealing with a minor injury for several days and could not compete at full capacity. She later described the problem as inflammation and pain in her neck.
Fernandez, ranked 23rd in the world, is set to face Kamila Rakhimova, ranked 66th, in the semifinal. Rybakina’s only remaining scheduled event is the Masters, which begins in Indian Wells on November 8 and features the season’s top eight players.
Sources: ANSA Sport.