With the Women’s Stuttgart Open about to commence, Elena Rybakina is still nowhere to be seen.
Rybakina is yet to withdraw from the WTA 500 event, where she will be the number one seed thanks to Aryna Sabalenka’s withdrawal.
The Kazakhstani player has not played a tournament since the Miami Open, where she was beaten by Aryna Sabalenka in the semi-final.
While her status in the Stuttgart Open remains alive, Rybakina has withdrawn from another event prior to it.
Elena Rybakina withdraws from high-profile event
In a statement on Instagram, the tournament confirmed that Rybakina will not play the One Point Challenge ahead of the Stuttgart Open.
The event is similar to the Australian Open’s One Point Slam, which saw amateurs and professionals take each other on in a one point match.
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Rybakina was due to play alongside various celebrities, including current Bundesliga goalkeeper, Fabian Bredlow.
However, the Stuttgart Open confirmed that, as yet, Rybakina was still due to play the main draw in Germany.
“Unfortunately, Elena Rybakina can’t participate in tomorrow’s event, but we’re looking forward to seeing her next week on the Centre Court for her first match,” they wrote.
Rybakina is the only top-ranked star yet to arrive in Stuttgart, with Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff already training at the German tournament.
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Rybakina has been replaced by Paula Badosa and Elina Svitolina in the competition, both of whom are set for the main draw too.
Badosa made a controversial switch from Open de Rouen to Stuttgart recently, despite accepting a wild card for the French event.
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Svitolina, meanwhile, has been enjoying a very fruitful season on the WTA Tour so far this year.
The Ukrainian star currently sits at world number seven in the rankings, having already won 20 matches and claimed her first title of the year at the ASB Classic.
Svitolina and Badosa could well play each other in the main draw, too, as the Ukrainian awaits the winner of the Spanish star’s match against Eva Lys.
