Rybakina Withdraws from Tokyo
Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Monday, September 25, 2024
Bypassed for a bye, Elena Rybakina said good-bye to Tokyo.
The 2022 Wimbledon champion withdrew from this week’s Toray Pan Pacific Open citing illness.
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The withdrawal comes a couple of days after Rybakina ripped the WTA for its trial of performance byes in Tokyo.
Rybakina not holding back š³š³š³ pic.twitter.com/VcKRAsQyAC
ā The Tennis Podcast (@TennisPodcast) September 23, 2023
Under traditional rules, Rybakina would have received a first-round bye in Tokyo.
However, due to the WTA trialing “performance byes” she was bumped from her first-round bye in favor of Guadalajra champion Maria Sakkari and WTA Finals champion Caroline Garcia, who reached the semifinals in Guadalajara.
“Performance bye,ā Rybakina wrote in an Instagram post. āThank you for changing the rules last momentā¦ great decisions as always, WTA.ā
Of course, both things can be true: Rybakina could be both ill and upset by losing out on a bye or perhaps she’s just sick and tired of the disrespect she’s received despite winning Wimbledon last year and reaching the Australian Open final last January.
Photo credit: Rob Newell/CameraSportĀ