Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina has withdrawn from the WTA tournament in Tokyo due to a neck injury, tournament organizers announced on Friday. The withdrawal comes one week before the season-ending WTA Finals.
Rybakina, the 2022 Wimbledon champion, was scheduled to compete in the Japanese capital but cited a neck issue as the reason for her withdrawal. The 25-year-old had reached the semifinals of the Stuttgart Open earlier this year, where she faced Russia's Mirra Andreeva.
The WTA Finals are set to begin next week, and Rybakina's participation had been anticipated. Her absence from Tokyo raises questions about her fitness ahead of the year-end championship.
