NEW YORK: Due to an injury, fourth seed Elena Rybakina withdrew from the U.S. Open prior to her match against Jessika Ponchet on Thursday in the second round.
The fourth and final match on Court 17 was supposed to feature Ponchet, who is making her U.S. Open main draw debut this year, against Kazakhstan’s 2022 Wimbledon champion.
“I did not want to finish the last Grand Slam of the year this way but I have to listen to my body, and I hope I can close out the remainder of the year strong,” Rybakina said.
“Thank you to all the fans who have and continue to support me, and I wish the remaining players good luck.”
After making it to the Wimbledon semifinals last month, Rybakina announced her separation from her longtime coach, withdrew from the Olympic singles and mixed doubles competitions in Paris, and lost her initial match in a tune-up event at the U.S. Open.
In the third round, Ponchet, ranked 143rd in the world, will take on Caroline Wozniacki, the previous champion of the Australian Open, or Renata Zarazua of Mexico. Reuters
