Elena Rybakina admitted it had been a “challenging year” as she was forced to withdraw from the Asian swing due to a lower back injury.
World No 4 Rybakina has not played since the US Open, where she pulled out of her second round match due to a lower back injury.
That was the eighth withdrawal of the season for the 25-year-old, who split with long-term coach Stefano Vukov in unknown circumstances shortly before the final major of 2024.
Rybakina’s US Open withdrawal was quickly followed by the former Wimbledon champion pulling out of the Korea Open in Seoul.
Now, she has withdrawn from the upcoming China Open and Wuhan Open, both WTA 1000 events.
“Due to an ongoing back injury, I regretfully have to withdraw from the upcoming Asian tournaments,” said Rybakina.
“While I’ve been working hard on my recovery, my medical team and I have decided it’s best to prioritize my health at this time.
“This has been a challenging year and I am grateful for the support from the tournament organizers and all of my fans. My team and I will work on getting me back on the court before the season finale.”
Rybakina was a semi-finalist at the China Open in 2023 and now risks losing her world No 4 ranking to Jasmine Paolini.
It has undeniably been a tricky year for the Kazakh, despite winning three WTA singles titles.
Victories at the WTA 500 events in Brisbane, Abu Dhabi, and Stuttgart, alongside finals in Doha and Miami, and a Wimbledon semi-final run, mean she still sits third in the WTA Race to Riyadh.
However, she failed to reach the second week at the Australian and US Opens, and has been forced to pull out of significant events throughout 2024.
Rybakina was the defending champion in both Indian Wells and Rome but ultimately did not play at either tournament.
The former world No 3 also withdrew from her Dubai Tennis Championships quarter-final back in February, and withdrew from both the Olympic Games and Canadian Open earlier in the summer.
Speculation has also circled over her due to her split with Vukov, her coach of five years who helped guide her to world No 3, the Wimbledon title, and an Australian Open final.
Rybakina and Vukov’s relationship often attracted criticism and the Kazakh refused to go into details following the split in New York.
However, Vukov has been removed from the WTA’s official coaching list, implying he has been barred or suspended.
