With Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Świątek absent, top seed Elena Rybakina carried the spotlight into a gripping Round of 16 showdown against Antonia Ružić in Dubai. The momentum, however, shifted painfully as the Kazakh star was forced to retire mid-match, following Paula Badosa’s premature exit from the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.

Elena Rybakina’s Dubai campaign ended abruptly after a physical struggle forced her to retire in the deciding set. She won a tense opening set 7-5 against Antonia Ružić. However, the momentum shifted as the Croatian claimed the second set 6-4.

Ružić carried that push into the decider. When she broke in the opening game of the third set, Rybakina immediately called for the physio. During the medical timeout, she explained her condition: “[I have] nausea. I ate, but in the morning I had a heavy head, and I didn’t sleep well. So I’m going to stop.”

The physio then asked the world number three if she wanted a full check. “Do you want us to do any assessment?” the physio asked.

Rybakina declined further examination: “No, because I know what it is, it’s just tiredness. I don’t see the reason to continue.”

“That’s absolutely fine,” said the physio.

Soon after, Rybakina walked to the net and shook hands with Ružić. The Croatian advanced to her first career WTA 1000 quarterfinal.

“I was surprised because I didn’t notice any signs that she wasn’t feeling well,” Ružić said.

She also reflected on her unlikely run: “It’s obviously not the way you want to win, but I’m happy that I’m through. It’s a crazy story that I got in as a lucky loser, and now I’m at this stage, sometimes you just have to take your second chances, and I’ve been playing like I’ve got nothing to lose.”

The Croatian will now face Elina Svitolina in the quarterfinals on Thursday, February 19. Meanwhile, Rybakina became another major withdrawal from the tournament.

Earlier, Paula Badosa had also retired during her second-round match against Svitolina. The Spaniard took a medical timeout for a leg problem and left the court in tears after the first set.

And for Rybakina, the physical issues had started earlier. She revealed before the event that illness and a heavy schedule had affected her preparation. 

“Honestly, it’s really not enough time. When I got back home, I also got a little cold, so I was not celebrating. I was literally in bed for a couple of days. Then we had to go to Doha. It’s quite a busy schedule,” the 26-year-old said.

With her exit, the Dubai Tennis Championships have further highlighted the growing wave of withdrawals, as the demanding Middle East swing continues to take its toll on players.

Brad Gilbert shares his thoughts on Rybakina’s withdrawal decision

The Dubai Tennis Championships have faced a wave of withdrawals and retirements this week. Several top players have either pulled out before the event or left matches midway.

Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Świątek delivered the first major setback by withdrawing early. Soon after, Karolina Muchova, Victoria Mboko, Qinwen Zheng, Maria Sakkari, and others also opted out of the WTA 1000 event.

In addition, multiple players were forced to retire during matches. Maria Sakkari, Hailey Baptiste, and Jaqueline Cristian all left the court due to physical concerns.

The growing list of exits has raised concern across the tennis world. Former coach of Andre Agassi and Coco Gauff, Brad Gilbert, reacted strongly to Elena Rybakina’s retirement.

“Another retirement at Dubai this time number one ☝️ seed Ryba, Oouch this tournament 🏟️ has some seriously bad luck this week.”

Even before the latest withdrawals, Gilbert had pointed to the unusual number of replacements in the draw: “Just looking 👀 at women’s draw ✍️ at Dubai, Oouch so many withdrawals and walkovers so early in the tournament 🏟️ and maybe record number of LL @BastienFachan.”

The situation has already drawn attention from tournament officials. Director Salah Tahlak called for strict action regarding top-player withdrawals, even as the list of injuries and fatigue-related exits continues to grow.

Amid the concerns, Jessica Pegula has stepped forward to address a bigger issue. She will chair a 13-member panel to review the WTA calendar and key tour rules, aiming for structural changes as the heavy schedule continues to test players’ limits.

With the casualty list now including even the reigning AO champion, what do you make of the tournament’s rising number of withdrawals and retirements?