Elena Rybakina lost her opportunity to displace Aryna Sabalenka at the top of the rankings after she retired hurt during her Cincinnati Open quarter-final against Iga Swiatek. The Kazakh second seed required a place in the final to move above Sabalenka, who had been eliminated in the fourth round by Sara Bejlek.
Rybakina managed just five games before stopping, trailing 4-1 when she pulled up at 40-40 and signalled for medical attention. After a brief consultation with the trainer she contested one more point, then quit the match with a left ankle problem.
"Of course I feel not the greatest, I couldn't even push from the serve," Rybakina said. "It's painful to walk. We'll know more tomorrow when we have the MRI. It's been bothering me for a long period of time, but felt like I had it under control. It was feeling OK before the match but unfortunately one wrong movement, one landing, and something happened."
Swiatek, who defeated Rybakina in the Canadian Open final last week, moves on to face American world number three Jessica Pegula in the semi-finals. The Pole is attempting to become only the second woman since 2004 to defend the Cincinnati crown, following Serena Williams' back-to-back titles in 2014 and 2015.
"I hope Elena will be fine. The next tournament is the priority. I know this one is important as well. But US Open is US Open," Swiatek said, adding concern for her opponent's condition. "I hope she's going be ready for that. She's super close to being number one in the world," she said. "It's a shame. I thought we were playing a good match, but health is a priority. I hope she's going to be OK."
Rybakina’s immediate outlook now hinges on the scan she mentioned, and that assessment will shape her preparation for the US Open, which begins on Sunday, 30 August. Sabalenka enters that tournament as the two-time defending women's singles champion, and with Rybakina forced out in Cincinnati the path to the top ranking remains unchanged for the moment.
