Elena Rybakina Admits Injury Made It ‘Painful to Walk’ After Cincinnati Mid-Match Retirement

Elena Rybakina‘s run at the Cincinnati Open ended in a disastrous fashion. The Kazakh ace faced defending champion Iga Swiatek in the fourth round, and after trailing 4-1 in the first set, she decided to throw in the towel.

Before arriving in Cincinnati, Rybakina made it to the final of the Canadian Open, but couldn’t end it in her favor, losing to Swiatek. And the win helped Swiatek end her title drought, as she had reached just one semifinal before playing in Toronto this season.

Rybakina will now be hoping to recover before the US Open, the main draw of which starts on August 30.

Of course now I feel not the greatest, I couldn’t even push from the serve. It’s painful to walk, and we will know more tomorrow when I do the MRI.

Elena Rybakina said at the press conference

The two-time Grand Slam champion had a chance to reach her career-best ranking of No.1 as Aryna Sabalenka crashed out of the fourth round. Had Rybakina defeated Swiatek and reached the final, she would have dethroned the Belarusian from the top.

It’s been bothering me for a long period of time. It was under control, but then after playing a lot of matches in Canada and coming here, playing two matches in a row. The match against (Magdalena) Frech stopping with the rain delays, I started to feel it more, and I took a day off completely after. It was feeling okay before the match, but unfortunately, one wrong movement, one landing, and something happened.

Elena Rybakina added

At present, Rybakina has 8141 points in the live rankings while Sabalenka has 8575 points. Sabalenka was dominating at the start of the season, winning titles in Brisbane, Indian Wells, and Miami, and losing the Australian Open to Rybakina.

But since her victory over Coco Gauff in Miami, the four-time Grand Slam singles champion has made just one semifinal, and it was in Berlin. Sabalenka will be competing in the New York Slam as the defending champion (beat Amanda Anisimova last year).

Iga Swiatek reacts to Elena Rybakina’s injury

Iga Swiatek is now on a 10-match winning streak thanks to her win at the Canadian Open and her run to the semifinals of the ongoing Cincinnati event. The six-time Grand Slam champion, after receiving the walkover, expressed confidence in a speedy recovery to the World No. 2.

Honestly, I felt a bit like scared because I don’t know if I see a player having an injury like that. I wasn’t sure because she didn’t look good, obviously. But then she wanted a treatment, so I wasn’t sure if she’s going to be back or not.

Iga Swiatek said during the on-court interview

Swiatek, who now holds an 8-6 head-to-head record over Rybakina, will next be facing Jessica Pegula. The American ace trails 5-7 in the head-to-head matchups.

I was feeling anxious just looking at this situation. I hope Elena will be fine. The next tournament is the priority. I know this one is important as well. But the US Open is US Open. I hope she’s gonna be ready for that. She’s super close to being No. 1 in the world. It’s a shame. I thought we were playing a good match. But health is a priority. I hope she’s gonna be OK.

Iga Swiatek added

Swiatek is chasing her 13th WTA 1000 title. Pegula, a four-time WTA 1000 champion, is chasing her third title of the season following the Dubai Open and the Charleston Open. She also reached the final of the Berlin Open and the Citi Open, losing to Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova and Alexandra Eala, respectively.

Also read: Aryna Sabalenka Angrily Bounces Ball Back to the Ball Kid During Shock Cincinnati Defeat