Rybakina withdraws from Billie Jean King Cup due to injury

World No. 1 and US Open champion Elena Rybakina announced on Instagram that she will not play for Kazakhstan in the Billie Jean King Cup quarterfinal against Spain on September 23 in Shenzhen. According to the Kazakhstan Tennis Federation, she will need at least two weeks to treat and recover from the left ankle injury she suffered on August 20 in Cincinnati - she played through the US Open on painkillers. Without her, the squad in Shenzhen will be strengthened by Yulia Putintseva, Anna Danilina, Zhibek Kulambayeva and Sonja Zhiyenbayeva.

September 18, 2026FitnessTournaments

Source: WTA, Федерация тенниса Казахстана

What's next

Right now

Tokyo: withdrawal before the quarterfinal

Tokyo · WTA 500 · 26 October – 1 November

On 30 October Rybakina withdrew from the Tokyo tournament before her quarterfinal against Leylah Fernandez. According to the WTA, the reason is a neck injury: inflammation and pain are stopping her from playing at her best. A day earlier, by beating Yulia Putintseva, she secured the year-end world No. 1 ranking.

Next on the calendar is the WTA Finals in Indian Wells, 8–15 November. How the injury affects her participation has not been announced yet.

More news

Rybakina withdraws from Tokyo before the quarterfinal with a neck injuryOctober 30, 2026
Rybakina withdraws from the Wuhan Open with injuryOctober 4, 2026
Rybakina one win away from finishing the year as WTA world No. 1October 28, 2026
Rybakina to face Putintseva in the Tokyo second roundOctober 27, 2026
Rybakina to lead Kazakhstan at the Billie Jean King Cup FinalsSeptember 15, 2026
Rybakina tops the Wuhan Open entry list: the entire Top 10 will play in WuhanSeptember 17, 2026