Los Angeles (United States) (AFP) – Weakened by a virus, world No.1 Elena Rybakina withdrew from the WTA Masters on Saturday on the eve of her first match, leaving the keys to her rival Aryna Sabalenka (N.2), in search of a first coronation.
Published on: 07/11/2026 - 22:14
“I am very sad to inform my fans that I unfortunately have to withdraw from the WTA Masters this year,” said the Kazakh before the start of the tournament bringing together the eight best players of the year, in Indian Wells, California.
"It's been an incredible season but my body is just not physically ready for competition. I'm going to spend some time at home resting and recovering, to prepare for the 2027 season," she added.
A WTA spokesperson said she was suffering from a “viral illness”.
Rybakina is coming off a prosperous year, during which she won two Grand Slam tournaments - the Australian Open and the US Open - and at the same time took the place of world No.1 from Aryna Sabalenka.
In the United States, she advanced with the label of favorite and defending champion for this end-of-year Masters which brings together the eight best players of the season.
The Kazakh won the last edition without losing a single match, with a victory in the final against Sabalenka in Riyadh.
With this package, the native of Moscow, who had already been forced to throw in the towel before the semi-finals of the WTA 500 tournament in Tokyo at the end of October, due to a neck injury, opens the way for her rival.
On familiar ground
Sabalenka, four-time winner of Grand Slam tournaments, will try to acquire a trophy which continues to slip from her hands, with two lost finals (in 2022 and 2025).
The advantage is that the tournament takes place in a place that she knows by heart: Indian Wells, which welcomes the players of the circuit every year for a WTA 1000 in March, and of which the Belarusian is the title holder.
The Masters, relocated this year from Riyadh to Indian Wells because of the war between the United States and Iran, which caused the cancellation of several sporting events, welcomes seven other contenders for the title.
Sabalenka, who becomes the No.1 seed in the tournament with the abandonment of Rybakina, inherits in her group the world No.3 Mirra Andreeva, the Ukrainian Elina Svitolina (6th) and the Czech Karolina Muchova (7th).
On the other side, Coco Gauff, world No.4 and winner of the 2024 edition, will face her compatriot Jessica Pegula (5th), the Czech Linda Noskova (8th), and the Ukrainian Marta Kostyuk, 10th player in the world, who replaces Rybakina and will enter the competition on Sunday.
Each player will face the other three members of their group starting on Sunday. Each victory earns three points and the first two in each group will qualify for the semi-finals, scheduled for November 14, before the final the next day.
Whatever happens, Sabalenka will not be able to regain the world No.1 position, with Rybakina guaranteed to keep it until the end of the year.
© 2026 AFP
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