Top-ranked tennis star Elena Rybakina has pulled out of the WTA Finals after coming down with a viral infection.
During an exceptional 2026 campaign, Rybakina captured victories at both the Australian Open and the US Open, ascending to the summit of the women’s singles rankings for the first time in her career.
On Sunday, she was scheduled to start her quest to match American legend Serena Williams by turning into the first competitor since 2014 to secure consecutive WTA Finals victories.
However, the 27-year-old Kazakh player disclosed just before the competition kicked off that she would be unable to defend her crown in Indian Wells.
“It brings me great sadness to let my fans and followers know that I regrettably must pull out from this year’s WTA Finals,” stated Rybakina.
“Although I’ve enjoyed a remarkable season, my body simply isn’t in condition to play.
“I plan to take time to recuperate back home and focus on preparing for the 2027 campaign.”
Rybakina locked in her spot as the year-end world number one during her appearance in Tokyo this past October.
Six weeks prior, she halted Sabalenka’s 99-week reign at the top spot by overcoming the Belarusian athlete in the US Open final.
This year marked the pinnacle of Rybakina’s professional journey, highlighted by tournament triumphs in Melbourne, New York, Stuttgart, and Ningbo, alongside runner-up finishes in Indian Wells and Toronto.
Over a period of continued excellence since last October, Rybakina collected six of her 15 total career trophies, snapping a nearly four-year drought following her first Grand Slam win at Wimbledon back in 2022.
She concludes her year with an impressive record of 54 victories out of 68 matches played, which includes winning 17 out of 19 contests at Grand Slam events.
Her dominant performance was largely driven by her tour-topping service metrics, hitting 438 aces throughout the year—a full 140 more than second-ranked Sabalenka.
In addition, she overwhelmed her adversaries with an unmatched 1,775 winning shots and consistently met the moment, racking up a circuit-leading 10 victories over top-10 competitors.
