Three weeks ago, Elena Rybakina was at the very top of the tennis world. She had just won the US Open, defeating Aryna Sabalenka in the final to win her third Grand Slam and, in the process, take the World No. 1 ranking from the Belarusian. Since then, however, things have not gone quite as smoothly for Rybakina during the Asian swing.

She skipped Kazakhstan’s Billie Jean King Cup campaign after admitting that the previous month had taken a toll on her body. She then made her return at the China Open, only to suffer a shock defeat to World No. 118 Alina Charaeva in her opening match. Now, with another major event on the horizon, the World No. 1 has been forced to make another difficult decision.

“I’m very sorry to the fans who were looking forward to seeing me play. I’ll take some time to recover,” said Rybakina on the Wuhan Open’s official Instagram story, as she announced her withdrawal from the event. “Thank you for your understanding and continued support. See you next year.”

The official statement from the Wuhan Open cited a foot injury, forcing Rybakina to withdraw from the last WTA 1000 event of the season. For fans who were looking forward to seeing the World No. 1 in action, the news would have come as a disappointment. It is also not the first time Rybakina has dealt with a lower-leg issue this season.

An Achilles injury forced her to retire from her match against Iga Swiatek at the Cincinnati Open. With the US Open fast approaching, there were genuine concerns about whether she would be able to compete in New York as Rybakina raced against time to recover.

It was far from an easy tournament, with Rybakina facing the likes of Jessica Bouzas Maneiro, Naomi Osaka, Qinwen Zheng, Coco Gauff, and Sabalenka across her seven matches en route to glory. Afterward, she shed light on the problems she had faced with her foot over the years.

“It was coming on and off, but at that tournament right before the US Open, I did one movement, and it was very difficult. The days before, it was raining, so I was going on and off the court, and I hurt myself. We all got upset as a team,” Rybakina said in an ESPN interview.

She also revealed that she practiced for only four days before taking to the court in New York, but made them count. A hard-fought 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 victory over Sabalenka, who was clearly rattled and was later fined $7,500 by the USTA for poor sportsmanship, showed just how well Rybakina had prepared. The win, however, may have come at a cost.

Rybakina’s Wuhan withdrawal means she’s now missed two big events. But for the long run, it’s probably a smart move, considering she felt the effects of her foot injury ahead of her Beijing loss to Charaeva.

“Now I’m back on the court, I still feel here and there. Again, I try to push myself, see how far I can go in this tournament. Mentally, I think now I’m better. It’s been a lot of things after the US Open, definitely,” she said in the press conference before that match.

Rybakina has had a history of physical issues, which have often kept her out of action for long periods of time. While she has been dealing with lower-leg injuries this season, it was her lower back that troubled her in 2024, forcing her to withdraw from the US Open after playing only one match. In fact, that was the most health-affected season she has had to date.

That season saw her withdraw from almost ten events, including Indian Wells, the Olympics, the Italian Open, the Berlin Open, and the entire Asian swing, as she dealt with injuries, insomnia, and several illnesses that affected her performances on the court.

For Rybakina, missing the Wuhan event would be a short-term setback. However, with her place in the WTA Finals already secured and a healthy lead in the rankings, the Kazakh will now look to recover in time for the Finals at Indian Wells in November.

Elena Rybakina Has Already Qualified for the WTA Finals

With 7,492 points this season, Rybakina has already secured her spot in the final eight at the WTA Finals. It has been a strong season for the Kazakh, who has won both hard-court Majors and 49 of the 63 matches she has played. She has also reached five finals, including two WTA 1000 events in Indian Wells and Toronto, along with her two Grand Slam finals.

In the rankings, Rybakina is more than 2,000 points ahead of Aryna Sabalenka. With the Belarusian also suffering an early exit in Beijing, there is no immediate threat to Rybakina’s No. 1 ranking. Sabalenka could close the gap with a deep run in Wuhan, where she is a three-time champion. However, she also has semifinal points to defend from last year, while her recent form has not been particularly encouraging.

With Wuhan now off her schedule, the WTA Finals are the only major event left on Rybakina’s calendar. Playing the year-ending event as the World No. 1 for the first time will be a challenge, especially with Rybakina also defending her title.

If the injury continues to bother her and she cannot play at full strength, she could find it difficult to pick up wins against the other seven best players of the season.

However, the WTA Finals shifting to Indian Wells this year plays to Rybakina’s advantage, as she has a 16-4 win-loss record at the event, including a WTA 1000 title in 2023.

Rybakina’s rise to World No. 1 has been followed by a difficult few weeks. With Wuhan now off her schedule, she will hope the break is enough to recover and return at full strength for the WTA Finals.