Elena Rybakina’s 2024 season has continued to go downhill after it was reported that she will not participate in the upcoming WTA 500 tournament in Seoul, South Korea. The Korea Open will be played from September 16 to 22.
Iga Swiatek, Elena Rybakina, and defending champion Jessica Pegula were initially set to headline the 2024 Korean Open. However, Rybakina and Pegula have withdrawn from the tournament. Emma Navarro, the World No. 8, will now be seeded No. 2 behind Swiatek at the Korean Open, which has been upgraded from the WTA 250 to the WTA 500 category this year.
The Kazakh No. 1’s decision to pull out of the Korean Open came after her surprising withdrawal just moments
before her second-round contest at the 2024 US Open. Rybakina cited “injuries” behind her withdrawal in New York.
Tennis fans were disheartened to see the former Wimbledon champion pull out of yet another tournament. Rybakina has withdrawn from seven tournaments so far this year due to illness and injuries.
Fans took to social media to express their disappointment at another withdrawal from the 25-year-old, stating that she is not prioritizing tennis and questioning her commitment.
Some fans strongly believed that the Kazakh would end the year without a Grand Slam or a WTA-1000 title, given her recent form, and urged her to shift the focus to the 2025 season. A fan also noted that things have only gone from bad to worse for Rybakina this year, and that she would not be playing tennis again this year if it weren’t for the WTA Finals.
