No. 1 Rybakina Withdraws from Wuhan – Tennis Now

Elena Rybakina’s Asian swing could also be a brief keep.

Richard PagliaroOctober 5, 20262 minute learn

By Richard Pagliaro | Monday, October 5, 2026
Picture credit score: Rob Newell/CameraSport

Elena Rybakina’s Asian swing could also be a brief keep.

New world No. 1 Rybakina withdrew from this month’s Wuhan Open resulting from an harm difficulty, the event introduced in the present day.

The announcement comes after Rybakina crashed out of Beijing in her maiden match as world No. 1. World No. 118 Alina Charaeva shocked the three-time Grand Slam champion in three units.

Reigning US Open and Australian Open champion Rybakina joined Naomi Osaka because the second lady to lose her first match as world No. 1.

“I’m very sorry to the followers who had been wanting ahead to seeing me play,” Rybakina posted on Instagram. “I’ll take a while to relaxation and get better.

“Thanks on your understanding and continued help. See you subsequent yr.”

A yr in the past, Rybakina misplaced to Aryna Sabalenka within the Wuhan quarterfinals and went on to win the Ningbo Open title in China earlier than reaching the Tokyo semifinals and ending the season stopping Sabalenka for the WTA Finals crown.

What’s going to Rybakina’s calendar forward of the WTA Finals at Indian Wells this fall appear to be given her harm difficulty?

Rybakina suffered an obvious left Achilles harm that pressured her to retire from the Cincinnati Open quarterfinals in August after solely 5 video games.

Initially, Rybakina was unsure she might get better in time for the US Open.

Regardless of the left leg difficulty, Rybakina knocked off Osaka, gold-medal champion Qinwen Zheng, Coco Gauff and two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka in succession to seize her maiden US Open championship.

In her Beijing presser, Rybakina stated her major targets are to remain wholesome, end the yr as season-ending world No. 1 and finally win Roland Garros to finish the profession Grand Slam.