Elena Rybakina withdraws from Pan Pacific Open with neck injury after sealing year-end No. 1 spot
The 27-year-old Rybakina was due to face Canada’s Leylah Fernandez in the quarterfinals. | Photo Credit: REUTERS
The 27-year-old Rybakina was due to face Canada’s Leylah Fernandez in the quarterfinals. | Photo Credit: REUTERS
Elena Rybakina withdrew from the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo with a neck injury on Friday, a day after securing the year-end world No. 1 ranking.
The 27-year-old was due to face Canada’s Leylah Fernandez in the quarterfinals but instead addressed the crowd and signed autographs, revealing she had been struggling with the injury for a few days.
“I won’t be able to play at 100 percent, especially with a very important tournament coming up,” Rybakina said, adding that she hoped to return for next month’s WTA Finals.
The Kazakh sealed the year-end top spot with a 6-2, 6-3 win over Yulia Putintseva in her opening match in Tokyo. She had claimed her maiden US Open title last month, replacing Aryna Sabalenka at the top of the rankings.
Rybakina has enjoyed a stellar season, winning the Australian Open in January and adding four titles, including last week’s Ningbo Open, to her collection.
Published on Oct 30, 2026
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