Italian Open: Unexpected Illness Forces Defending Champion Elena Rybakina to Withdraw in Saddening Update

End of Italian Open hopes for Elena Rybakina this time! It hasn’t been long since the tennis star had to face an exit in the semi-finals of Madrid as she lost to Aryna Sabalenka. While everyone eagerly waited for the 2023 champion to be back with more strength in Rome, it turned out that she wasn’t lucky enough to be able to defend her title.

Everything seemed to be running smoothly in order until the Italian Open’s official X handle broke down the update. “Elena Rybakina is forced to withdraw from the tournament due to illness and will be replaced by Oceane Dodin,” the post said, clarifying that World No. 4 isn’t healthy enough to keep her dominance alive in Rome.

While she was scheduled to start her run for glory against Irina Camelia Begu, it is time that the French WTA star takes her place, looking forward to pursuing her dreams in the ongoing tournament. Along with the event’s post, Rybakina herself took a moment to express her feelings over missing out on the prestigious tournament.

“I am disappointed to have to withdraw from Rome this year, but unfortunately I do not feel well enough to compete,” she wrote, unveiling her disappointment over the fact that she couldn’t be a part of the Italian Open. Remembering the massive win over Anhelina Kalinina that led her to the title back in 2023, she added, “I have such good memories from last year and was looking forward to defending my title.”

As the tennis star continues to take some time out to recover from the illness that became the reason for her withdrawal, it still remains to be seen if she will be able to get back for the upcoming major clay court event.

Elena Rybakina acknowledges that she has no reason to stop

The unexpected news of Elena Rybakina’s withdrawal came as a shock to the fans. While the tennis star currently rests to recover, she was dreaming of defending her title in Rome just a few days ago. The Kazakh hasn’t been lucky enough to play the role of a defending champion as most of her wins came just before the COVID scare hit the world.

While she didn’t see any hindrance coming her way this time, Rybakina came forward to show reveal her confident thoughts. “Yes, I mean, I like playing. I want to keep on going. I think, Why not?” she said, mentioning the fact that there’s nothing she thinks could stop her from hitting it hard this time. As fans look forward to the commencement of the event in Rome, it is sure that they would miss the defending champion.