Elena Rybakina was forced to retire just five games into her quarter-final clash with Iga Swiatek at the Cincinnati Open after sustaining an injury. The Kazakh player, who was guaranteed to become world No. 1 for the first time if she reached the finals, pulled up on her leg while serving at 1-4 40-40 and immediately called the trainer to court.
Medical timeout and retirement
The second seed had a medical timeout, during which the physio treated the back of her ankle, raising concerns that Rybakina had injured her Achilles. She returned to the court but hit one missed serve before deciding to retire, sparking major concerns ahead of the US Open, which begins next Sunday.
Rybakina is now planning to have scans to learn more about the nature of the injury. “Of course I feel not the greatest. It’s painful to walk,” she told AP. “We’ll know more tomorrow when we have the MRI. It’s been bothering me for a long period of time but felt like I had it under control. It was feeling okay before (Thursday’s) match. Unfortunately one wrong movement and something happened.”
Impact on rankings and Swiatek's reaction
It is a huge blow for the two-time Grand Slam champion, who was closing in on the world No. 1 ranking following Aryna Sabalenka’s early exit. Had Rybakina won two more matches in Cincinnati, she would have reached the top spot.
Swiatek, who advanced to the semi-finals when Rybakina retired, showed her class as she went over to the Kazakh’s bench to check on her after the retirement. The recent Canadian Open champion also sent her well-wishes to her rival while addressing the crowd.
“Honestly, I was feeling anxious just looking at the situation, so I hope Elena will be fine, and obviously next tournament is the priority,” the No. 7 seed said during her on-court interview. “I know this one is important as well, but US Open is US Open and I hope she’s gonna be ready for that because she’s super close to being No. 1 in the world, so it’s a shame because I thought we were playing a good match. But health is a priority. I hope she’s gonna be okay with everything.”
Upcoming matches
Swiatek’s quarter-final showdown with Rybakina was a rematch of last week’s Canadian Open final, which saw the Pole win 6-2 6-3 to lift her first title of the season. After advancing to the Cincinnati semi-finals via retirement, Swiatek now faces Jessica Pegula for a place in the final.
In the other half of the draw, Sara Bejlek, who stunned Sabalenka in the round of 16, takes on Madison Keys in the quarter-finals, while Coco Gauff faces Marta Kostyuk.
