Rybakina pulls out of Pan Pacific Open quarterfinal with neck injury after clinching year‑end No.1

The Kazakh star thanked fans before exiting, saying she will return for the WTA Finals in Indian Wells.

By Felo News Desk · Published Fri, 30 Oct 2026 15:00:26 GMT

World number one Elena Rybakina withdrew from the Pan Pacific Open quarterfinals in Tokyo on Monday, citing a neck injury, a day after she secured the year‑end women’s singles ranking.

What happened

Rybakina was scheduled to face Canada’s Leylah Fernandez in the quarterfinals of the Tier‑I Pan Pacific Open. Instead, she walked onto the court, addressed the crowd and signed autographs before announcing she could not compete. The 27‑year‑old said she had been struggling with a "little injury" for a few days and could not play at 100 percent ahead of the season‑ending WTA Finals.

What the reports add

Al Jazeera reported that Rybakina had pulled out with a neck injury and that she had clinched the year‑end top ranking the previous day with a 6‑2, 6‑3 win over Yulia Putintseva in her opening match in Tokyo. The Daily Times noted that the victory over Putintseva secured her the year‑end No.1 spot and highlighted her earlier success at the Ningbo Open, where she defeated Diana Shnaider in the semifinals and was set to meet Fernandez in the final.

What was said

Rybakina told the audience, "I just wanted to say thank you so much for coming today, but unfortunately I won’t be able to play," as reported by Al Jazeera. She added that she had been dealing with the injury for a couple of days and that an important tournament was approaching.

How it came about

Rybakina entered the Pan Pacific Open after winning her fourth title of the season at the Ningbo Open, a run she detailed in Felo’s earlier coverage of the Ningbo Open final. Earlier in October she suffered a second‑round upset at the China Open, as reported in Felo’s China Open upset article. Those results set the stage for her bid to finish the year as world number one, a goal she achieved with the win over Putintseva before withdrawing.

Key facts

Elena Rybakina withdrew from the Pan Pacific Open quarterfinals due to a neck injury. (aljazeera.com)
She secured the year‑end women’s singles No.1 ranking with a 6‑2, 6‑3 win over Yulia Putintseva the day before withdrawing. (aljazeera.com)
Rybakina plans to return for the season‑ending WTA Finals in Indian Wells. (aljazeera.com)
She had won the Ningbo Open the week before, defeating Diana Shnaider in the semifinals. (dailytimes.com.pk)