"There's something more..this isn't normal": Serena Williams' ex-coach not convinced by Elena Rybakina's US Open 2R "undisclosed injury" withdrawal
Elena Rybakina shocked the tennis world after withdrawing from her second-round contest at the 2024 US Open. The Kazakh was set to face Jessika Ponchet before her untimely withdrawal.
Rybakina came to the US Open after an early exit at the Cincinnati Open but did well enough to overcome Australian qualifier Destanee Aiava in her first-round match. The 25-year-old, a pre-tournament favorite for the title, looked set for another strong performance against French qualifier Ponchet.
However, just minutes before the two women were set to compete on Court 17 at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, it was announced that Elena Rybakina had withdrawn from the tournament. This meant Jessika Ponchet has now reached her maiden Grand Slam third round.
Former WTA doubles World No. 1 Rennae Stubbs was seemingly unconviced by Rybakina's withdrawal. In an interview with ESPN, the 53-year-old said there's something bigger going on in the Kazakh's camp, maybe health-related, that has led to her withdrawal from not only the US Open but an astounding eight tournaments this year alone.
“There’s something obviously going on here. I don’t want to speculate. But this is a very unusual situation. 8 withdrawals this year… undisclosed injury now at US Open. I just think there’s something more going on here. This is not a normal situation," Stubbs said.
The Australian looked back on her years of interactions with Rybakina and seeing her on tour and said the former Wimbledon champion is one of the best hard court players when she is happy and enjoying her game. Stubbs, who also coached Serena Williams, went on to wish Rybakina a quick recovery.
"I’ve seen her over the last couple of days. She hasn’t looked great. I’ve seen her for years on the tour. I know what she looks like when she’s happy, when she’s healthy, when she’s playing well. When she’s playing well, on this surface, she’s one of if not the best player in the world."
"So what’s going on with her, I think it’s a lot more than we realize. This is terrible. It’s sad. She’s such a nice person. She’s so nice to be around all the time. We wish her well and hope she can find whatever she needs to,” Stubbs added.
"I have to listen to my body" - Elena Rybakina speaks out after US Open withdrawal
Elena Rybakina was disheartened to pull out of the 2024 US Open at such an early stage and released a statement explaining her decision. The Kazakh cited injuries as the reason behind her withdrawal and chose to prioritize her health and body over playing at the tournament.
Rybakina hoped to bounce back as soon as possible after this setback and be in prime shape for the remainder of the season. She thanked her fans for their constant support and wished the players left in the tournament the best of luck.
“Unfortunately, I have to withdraw from my match today due to my injuries," Rybakina said in a statement. "I did not want to finish the last Grand Slam of the year this way but I have to listen to my body, and I hope I can close out the remainder of the year strong. Thank you to all the fans who have and continue to support me, and I wish the remaining players good luck,” Elena Rybakina said.
The 25-year-old made a fantastic start to the year, winning two WTA 500 titles in the first four tournaments. She also reached the final of the WTA 1000 tournaments in Doha and Miami and picked up her third title of the year in Stuttgart.
However, since then, Rybakina has been inconsistent on the WTA Tour due to a horrendous run of injuries. Most recently, she suffered from bronchitis, which derailed her post-Wimbledon plans and forced her out of the Paris Olympics and Canadian Open.