Elena Rybakina withdrew from the 2025 Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo ahead of her semi-final match citing a back injury after her quarter-final victory sealed her qualification for the WTA Finals.
The world No 7 was due to face 17th-ranked Linda Noskova in the first of the semi-final encounters at the WTA 500 tournament on Saturday.
However, Rybakina decided not to take to the court shortly before what would have been her fourth meeting with the 20-year-old Czech, against whom she holds a 3-0 record.
Elena Rybakina’s withdrawal from Tokyo
Elena Rybakina’s run at the Pan Pacific Open saw her overtake Mirra Andreeva to secure the final qualification spot for the WTA Finals in Riyadh
The Kazakh apologised to fans after withdrawing from Tokyo ahead of her semi-final as she explained she could not play at 100% due to a back issue
Despite her withdrawal, Rybakina will climb to world No 6 when the WTA Rankings update next week
At the start of this week, Rybakina knew her WTA Finals qualification fate was in her own hands after she crucially won the WTA 500 tournament in Ningbo last week.
The 25-year-old needed to reach the semi-finals in Tokyo to overtake Mirra Andreeva — who did not play this week — in the Race to Riyadh.
Rybakina achieved this by seeing off world No 22 Leylah Fernandez 6-4, 6-3 in her opening match and world No 23 Victoria Mboko 6-3, 7-6(4) in the last eight at the Pan Pacific Open on Friday.
The win against Mboko lifted Rybakina above Andreeva into the eighth and final qualification place for the WTA Finals, confirming her presence in Riyadh as this is the last qualifying week for the year-end championships.
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What did Rybakina say after her withdrawal?
After pulling out before her Pan Pacific Open semi-final match with Noskova, Rybakina explained her decision in a statement.
“I’m very sorry I can’t play today,” said Rybakina
“I have been having problems with my back this week and can’t play 100%. I am disappointed that my fans will not see me today but I hope to see you next year.”
The nature of the injury cited raises some concern as Rybakina has been troubled by back issues before, including at this year’s Australian Open.
With the WTA Finals set to begin on November 1, though, it is likely Rybakina took the decision to withdraw from Tokyo as a precaution after already sealing her qualification for the year-end showpiece.
While it was certainly a blow for Rybakina’s fans in Tokyo, it is understandable that she did not want to take any risks so close to such a big event after what she invested in the last two weeks.
What prize money and points did Rybakina earn in Tokyo?
Rybakina collected $59,000 in prize money for reaching the semi-finals at the Pan Pacific Open.
The 2022 Wimbledon champion’s run has seen her earn 195 WTA Ranking points, which boosts her points total to 4,550.
This has lifted Rybakina 25 points above Jasmine Paolini in the Live WTA Rankings, which means she will replace the Italian as the world No 6 next week.
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