First-ranked female tennis player, Elena Rybakina, has pulled out of the WTA Finals 2026 due to viral infection. She was supposed to compete in the finals as the defending champion. Her pulling out has paved the way for Marta Kostyuk to play in the finals. She is the first alternate player to participate in the finals.
Rybakina announced her decision via social media. She expressed her disappointment, saying, “I am very sad to inform all my fans and supporters that unfortunately, I must withdraw from this year's WTA Finals.”
She further added, “I've had a great season, but my body is not yet ready to compete. I will spend some time at home resting and recovering, and prepare for the 2027 season. The WTA Finals is a very special tournament, and I wish everyone the best of luck. I can't wait to be back in Indian Wells in March.”
According to the WTA report, Marta Kostyuk will replace Rybakina in Group 1. She will face Linda Noskova in her first match of the tournament on Sunday. She will also face Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula in the round robin stage.
Interestingly, this will be the fourth time Noskova and Kostyuk will face each other this season. The two players have played against each other on all three types of courts. Their only encounter on hard courts came in the fourth round of the US Open, where Noskova won 7-5, 5-7, 6-4.
Rybakina had a remarkable 2026 season. She finished the year with a record of 54 wins and 14 losses. During this period, she won four major titles: the Australian Open, Stuttgart, the US Open, and Ningbo. She also achieved the world no. 1 ranking after winning her third Grand Slam title at the US Open. Despite withdrawing from the tournament, she retained the WTA year-end No. 1 singles ranking presented by the PIF in Tokyo.
Rybakina won the 2025 WTA Finals in Riyadh. She entered that edition as the last qualifier and remained undefeated throughout the tournament. She was expected to defend her title this time as well, but she had to withdraw due to illness.
