Tennis News: Elena Rybakina is racing against time to get back in shape for the 2026 US Open season after being forced to withdraw from her match against Iga Swiatek at the Cincinnati Open.
The world number 2 tennis player trailed 1-4 in the first set of the quarter-finals of the WTA level 1000 tournament, the Cincinnati Open. Holding serve at 40/15, she moved closer to the net to try to return seventh seed Swiatek’s shot, but she suddenly bent over in pain.
At the next point, the Kazakh national stopped at the back line of the court and asked for a break for medical reasons before finally deciding to withdraw from the match. During the match, the second seed’s left ankle and Achilles tendon area were wrapped with medical plaster. However, the official reason for his retirement was an ankle problem, not the Achilles tendon.
It was a double blow for the Kazakh national who only has a little more than a week to recover his physical condition ahead of the final Grand Slam of the 2026 season, the US Open. At the Cincinnati Open, she has the opportunity to win world number 1 for the first time in her career after Aryna Sabalenka was knocked out in the third round. To make this happen, he must make it to the final.
“To be honest, I was a bit worried because I rarely see tennis players suffer injuries like that,” said Swiatek in response to Rybakina’s decision to withdraw from the match.
“I was doubtful because his condition clearly didn’t look good. However, because he requested medical treatment, I wasn’t sure whether he would return to competition or not. So, I tried to stay focused and prepared, because a break like that can really disrupt the rhythm and momentum of the game. I’m sorry for his condition, but I hope the injury is not serious.”
“I hope Elena will be fine. The next tournament is the main priority. I know this tournament is also important, but the US Open is still the US Open. I hope she will be ready for that tournament. She was very close to becoming world number 1. It’s a shame that this happened.”
When speaking to journalists, the Kazakh tennis player confirmed that he would undergo an MRI examination on Friday (21/8) local time and revealed that the problem he was experiencing had been bothering him for quite some time.
“This has been bothering me for a long time. The condition was under control, but after playing many matches in Canada, then playing two matches in a row here – especially the match against Magdalena Frech which was postponed due to rain – I started to feel the pain more intensely, so I decided to rest completely for one day after that,” explained Rybakina.
“My condition felt fine before the match, but unfortunately, one wrong move or one wrong landing made something happen.”
Article Tags: us open, cincinnati open, iga swiatek, elena rybakina
Published by Ligaolahraga.com at https://www.ligaolahraga.com/tenis/elena-rybakina-alami-pukulan-besar-jelang-us-open