Elena Rybakina withdrew from yet another tournament, continuing her unlucky season, as she pulled out of the 2024 Korea Open in Seoul.
It’s been a very rough few months for the Kazakhstani player, who started the year so well, but, unfortunately, 2024 isn’t getting any better for her. Rybakina was once one of the players expected to make a significant impact this year.
She was arguably the third-best player behind Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek, and as such, she was expected to do really well. She started the year strongly, winning the Brisbane International in a dominant fashion.
Not only did she win, but she also thrashed Aryna Sabalenka 6-0, 6-3 in the final, which was a huge statement win and led some to believe she would challenge for the Australian Open.
However, what followed was one of the biggest disappointments at the event as she was beaten in the second round by Anna Blinkova. There’s not much to be said about that match except that the second-set tie-break ended 22-20 in favor of the Russian, marking a historic moment in a way.
Things improved later, as she won the Abu Dhabi Open, which was followed by her run to the final in Doha, even though she suffered an early exit in Dubai. She also missed Indian Wells due to some physical problems, which have been prominent this year.
Her comeback in Miami looked promising as she made the final but was beaten by Danielle Collins, who was playing career tennis at that time. Another good result followed in Stuttgart as she won the trophy and a car she can’t drive due to a lack of a license.
She played well in Madrid and at the French Open but also dealt with some physical issues. Those physical issues continued to be a problem in the weeks following, causing her to miss a couple of events.
