Rybakina retires from quarterfinal against Azarenka in Berlin before rain suspends play
Elena Rybakina retired from her quarterfinal in Berlin on Friday, seemingly because of illness.
The 2022 Wimbledon champion was trailing Victoria Azarenka 3-1 in the first set at the grass-court Ladies Open and stopped playing after her double fault made it 15-15 in the fifth game.
Rybakina sat on her bench, put her hands to her face but didn’t wait for a medical evaluation. After 40 seconds, she got up and quickly jogged to the locker room.
On Thursday, Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova retired from her match in Berlin because of a leg injury.
First-round play begins at Wimbledon on July 1.
Former No. 1 Azarenka, a two-time Australian Open champion, will face second-seeded Aryna Sabalenka or Anna Kalinskaya in the semifinals.
Fourth-seeded Jessica Pegula led Katerina Siniakova 7-6 (2), 3-6, 4-2 when rain interrupted play. They will finish their match Saturday.
The other two quarterfinals were moved to Saturday: Sabalenka vs. Kalinskaya; and top-seeded Coco Gauff against Ons Jabeur.
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Elena Rybakina withdraws from U.S. Open with injury
Elena Rybakina, the world No. 4, withdrew from the U.S. Open Thursday with an undisclosed injury, a USTA spokesperson said. The fourth seed, Rybakina won her first-round match 6-1, 7-6(1) against Destanee Aiava.
Rybakina was scheduled to play Jessika Ponchet Thursday on Court 17.
“Unfortunately, I have to withdraw from my match today due to my injuries,” Rybakina said in a statement via the WTA. “I did not want to finish the last Grand Slam of the year this way, but I have to listen to my body, and I hope I can close out the remainder of the year strong.”
This is the seventh time Rybakina’s had a withdrawal or retirement in 2024. She was forced to withdraw from three WTA 1000 tournaments due to illness and fatigue, and lost a 42-point tiebreak, 20-22, in the second round of the Australian Open against Anna Blinkova, having had eight match points. At the Berlin Ladies Open, Rybakina retired due to illness in the quarterfinal against Victoria Azarenka. In the subsequent tournament at Eastbourne, Rybakina withdrew.
Two days before the Paris Olympics began, Rybakina withdrew due to acute bronchitis. She was on a list of high-profile names to pull out of the Paris Games which included Ons Jabeur, Marketa Vondrousova and Madison Keys.
Before the U.S. Open began, Rybakina announced that she split with coach Stefano Vukov after five years working together.
Rybakina wraps up her 2024 Slam season with a semifinal appearance at Wimbledon her best result, where she lost to eventual champion Barbora Krejcikova. She also made the quarterfinals at the French Open before losing to eventual finalist Jasmine Paolini.
Rybakina has three WTA titles in 2024: the Brisbane International, the Abu Dhabi Open and the Stuttgart Grand Prix. She won her maiden Grand Slam at Wimbledon in 2022.
As for Ponchet, she will play the winner of Caroline Wozniacki and Renata Zarazua in the third round.
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Tennis pundit says something strange is going on with Rybakina after strange retirement….
Elena Rybakina’s recent withdrawal from the 2024 US Open has sparked concern among tennis commentators, with former player Rennae Stubbs expressing alarm over the unusual pattern of withdrawals. Rybakina has now withdrawn from eight events this year, citing an undisclosed injury for her latest exit.
Stubbs, who has observed Rybakina closely over the years, noted a significant change in her demeanor and physical condition, stating, “There’s something obviously going on here… This is not a normal situation.” She emphasized that when healthy, Rybakina is one of the best players in the world, particularly on hard courts.
The situation has raised questions about the severity of Rybakina’s condition, with Stubbs suggesting that the issue may be more serious than publicly known. “We wish her well and hope she can find whatever she needs to,” Stubbs added, reflecting the tennis community’s concern for the talented player.
Rybakina at the U.S. Open, ranking, and results in 2024
Ranked no.4, Rybakina has managed to achieve an overall 41-9 match record in 2024. Elena is now competing at the U.S. Open where she managed to beat the world no.194 Destanee Aiava 6-1 7-6(1).
