Elena Rybakina Withdraws From 2023 Zhengzhou Open

Elena Rybakina won't be playing next week at the Zhengzhou Open after withdrawing from the event due to a back problem.

Similar to Coco Gauff, Elena Rybakina opted to withdraw from the Zhengzhou Open, citing a back problem as the reason for her withdrawal. The Kazakhstani player played at the China Open in Beijing, and she played well, besting the WTA World No. 1 player, Aryna Sabalenka, on her way to the semi-final.

That's as far as she would go, though, as Liudmila Samsonova beat her in the semi-final, which ended Rybakina's campaign at the WTA 1000 event in the Chinese capital.

Rybakina now won't add any more matches in China as she won't play next week as planned, but will enjoy some rest ahead of the WTA Finals later this month. It's a sensible decision, because much like Gauff, Rybakina doesn't need to play.

Her spot in the WTA Finals is secure; she's got enough matches under her belt, and getting ready for the event in Cancun will be her top priority. The reason for signing up for the event in Zhengzhou likely had to do with her wanting to play some matches in case she lost early in Beijing.

It wouldn't have been ideal to go too long without tennis before the WTA Finals, as the sport is so momentum-based. Rybakina demonstrated a good level in the China Open, making her one of the players more likely to perform well at the Finals.

It was finally a positive development for her, as she seemingly dealt with an illness before this stretch. The illness was the cause of her withdrawal from the Japan Open in Tokyo, so making the semi-final a week later in Beijing is good news. She will now try to translate that well to very different conditions in Cancun later this month.