Elena Rybakina has joined Iga Swiatek and Barbora Krejcikova in withdrawing from the 2024 Canadian Open in Toronto.
This year has been a fascinating one for Rybakina, who started really well Down Under by winning a trophy in Brisbane. Many took it as an announcement that Rybakina would seriously challenge for the World No. 1 spot on the WTA Tour, and at times, she did have that level.
Still, getting to number one isn't about a player's level as much as it is about consistency. Playing an event as the best player in the world once in a while doesn't cut it, as players have to bring that level week in and week out.
That's not been the case for the Kazakhstani player this year, who showed her consistency fairly early into the year. She lost already in the second round at the Australian Open, and it wasn't until Doha that she showed a good level again.
That sequence repeated itself until the clay season when she found some good consistency, but the health issues appeared again. She has dealt with a few on and off this year, including fairly recently during the grass season.
Her Wimbledon preparation and play were derailed by health issues. She didn't play at the Paris Olympics due to further health issues, and it seems like they're still plaguing her.
The Kazakhstani player was confirmed as one of the three high-profile withdrawals from the Canadian Open alongside Iga Swiatek and Barbora Krejcikova. The news came directly from the event organizers.
In the comment, World Number 4 admitted that her health simply doesn't permit her to lie just yet, which is why she will miss the event.
"Despite my best efforts to recover in time, my current health condition does not allow me to compete at the level required. Competing in Canada is always a special experience and I am looking forward to performing there again next year."
It's very unfortunate for Rybakina, who is one of the better-performing players on the hard courts. This upcoming part of the season, with two hard-court WTA 1000 tournaments and the US Open, is a part of the season where she can expect to have lots of success, but now she's going to miss at least one of those three huge events.
That's devastating for a player who had hoped this season to be the one she attacks number one, but it has not really worked out that way. Prolonged health or injury woes are never a good sign for an athlete, and she has slowly started to develop a reputation for this.
Hopefully, it will not last, and Rybakina is permitted to chase greatness as she has the tools for it. Despite Rybakina's withdrawal, the tournament director, Karl Hale, was still confident about the field at the 2024 National Bank Open.
"Our player list remains extremely strong, and fans can look forward to seeing many of the world’s best players, including top seeds Coco Gauff and Aryna Sabalenka in action at Sobeys Stadium. In particular, we cannot wait to honour all of our Canadian world champions as we celebrate their Billie Jean King Cup victory on Tuesday, August 6 as part of Opening Night presented by Sobeys."
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