The World No. 1 spot was just two wins away. But for Elena Rybakina, the bigger battle suddenly became staying on her feet, leaving her to watch that opportunity disappear before she could make her move.
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The highly anticipated Cincinnati Open quarterfinal between Rybakina and Iga Swiatek was set to be another chapter in their growing rivalry, especially after the two had just met in the Canadian Open final. But instead of another blockbuster battle, the match ended abruptly.
Rybakina retired midway through the first set with a lower-leg injury, bringing her World No. 1 hopes to an unexpected halt. Afterward, the World No. 2 revealed that she had already been carrying an injury into the match and provided an update on her condition.
“Of course I feel not the greatest. 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 I felt like I had it under control,” said Rybakina in an interview after the match.
In fact, the Kazakh had come onto the court with strapping on her left leg in the Achilles area, suggesting a possible injury. Despite the discomfort, she kept playing. However, when she was serving in the next game, the World No. 2 called for a medical timeout to receive treatment for her injured area.
It quickly became clear that the World No. 2 was struggling to move normally, with the pain making it difficult for her to put any weight on her left leg. With little choice, Rybakina was forced to retire from the match.
“It was feeling OK before (Thursday’s) match. “Unfortunately, one wrong movement and something happened,” Rybakina explained.
The injury was concerning enough to catch Swiatek’s attention too. As Rybakina struggled on court, the Pole appeared visibly concerned, and once the match ended prematurely, Swiatek walked over to check on her opponent. The concern didn’t end there.
Speaking after the match, Swiatek also addressed Rybakina’s injury and said, “I felt a bit like scared because I don’t know if I see a player having an injury like that. I know this might happen to me as well, you know.” The Pole continued, “But then I felt really sorry for her, and hopefully it’s nothing serious.”
She also wished the Kazakh a speedy recovery ahead of the US Open, adding that she hoped Rybakina would be fit and ready to compete in New York. “She’s walking normally now, so I hope she’s gonna be ready for the US Open because she might get a number one spot, and it will be nice to do it during the tournament she plays at.”
Given how close the US Open is, it was understandable why Rybakina would have been reluctant to take any unnecessary risks with the injury. With Aryna Sabalenka out in the fourth round, Rybakina could have swept the No.1 ranking if she reached the final in Cincinnati. The gap is now only about 400 points, and Sabalenka needs to defend 2000 points in New York, giving Rybakina another opportunity to get the No. 1 spot.
As things stand, she needs to recover from her injury within a week or so if she has any chance of making a deep run at a Major, where she has never been past the fourth round in her prior appearances. And this time, Rybakina not only looks forward to make it past the fourth round, but also to clinch the No. 1 spot.
Rybakina needs two things to become the World No. 1
Back in May, following her opening-round win over Veronika Erjavec at Roland Garros, Rybakina had already identified two things she believed would be crucial to reaching the top of the WTA rankings.
“To reach the No 1 spot in the rankings, you need to be very consistent; that’s the most important thing,” said Rybakina in her press conference.
Consistency hasn’t really been the issue for the Kazakh this season. If anything, the second part of her own formula has now become the bigger concern.
“You always have to stay healthy on such a demanding schedule because there’s no room for skipping tournaments. Otherwise, if you’re not feeling well, you could lose early in the first rounds. I think consistency is the most important thing, and of course, being healthy.”
With only nine days left before the US Open main draw gets underway in Flushing Meadows, Rybakina’s immediate priority is clear: get the body right. If becoming World No. 1 remains the bigger goal, staying healthy in New York could be just as important as winning the matches themselves.