Former Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina has announced her withdrawal from the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo, citing concerns about her physical readiness. Her decision comes just days after she criticized the WTA for the introduction of performance byes at the tournament.
Typically, byes are awarded to top-seeded players, but performance byes allow players who have excelled in the previous week to advance directly to the second round of the upcoming tournament. In the case of the Pan Pacific Open, byes were granted to Maria Sakkari, who clinched the Guadalajara Open title on Saturday, and Caroline Garcia, who reached the semi-finals. Both players held lower rankings than Rybakina, who had been slated to face Linda Noskova in the first round.
Elena Rybakina explained her withdrawal in an Instagram post, stating, “As a player, I want to give my all on the court, and at the moment, my body is not ready to do that. That’s why I decided to listen to my body and withdraw from the tournament. I love Japan, my fans here are so unique, and for that reason, this is a tough decision.”
She further clarified that her choice to withdraw was unrelated to the issue of missing out on a bye. Rybakina also hinted that she intends to voice her opinions on the matter of performance byes and other topics related to the WTA in the future.
Elena Rybakina’s decision to withdraw from the Pan Pacific Open reflects her commitment to her physical well-being and her dedication to delivering her best performance on the tennis court. Her stance on tournament rules and policies underscores the ongoing dialogue within the tennis community regarding competitive fairness and player welfare.
