Tennis superstar Elena Rybakina has canceled her participation in the WTA 250 tournament in Eastbourne, as the Kazakh announced on Monday. Is her start in Wimbledon now in danger, where she won her first and so far only Grand Slam title last year?
Last year’s Wimbledon winner Elena Rybakina is withdrawing from the tournament in Eastbourne a few days before the start in London. Seed number one in the south of England, Rybakina made it to the semi-finals at the Rothesay International in 2021. Her opponent Wang Xiyu thus advances one round.
The reason for the 24-year-old’s cancellation is a viral disease that has been throwing her back for weeks. “I’m still recovering from the virus I had in Paris. It was very tough after Roland Garros. Then I caught something different in Berlin,” explained Rybakina: “So I and my team decided that it better if I recover this week and prepare for Wimbledon.”
Tennis star Rybakina urgently needs games on grass
The reigning Wimbledon champion is currently anything but in top form: last week in Berlin she was eliminated in the second round by Donna Vekic. At the French Open she had to cancel her third round match. Nevertheless, the Kazakh initially wanted to compete in Eastbourne.
“It was really tough. After I gave up at the French Open, I went back to the hotel. Then it only got worse and I had to stay in the hotel for a few days without being able to leave the room,” Rybakina previously said reported at a press conference. “I’m not at 100 percent yet, but I’m slowly getting better and I can hopefully play a few more games before Wimbledon starts,” said her initial hope, which has now been dashed.
The prestigious Wimbledon tournament begins on July 3rd.