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Elena Rybakina confirms her withdrawal from her next tournament after shock defeat in Beijing, ‘I’m very sorry’

World number one Elena Rybakina has pulled out of the upcoming Wuhan Open following a surprise defeat in Beijing against Alina Charaeva ranked 118th. The top-ranked star revealed that a lingering left foot problem forced her decision to withdraw from the event and issued an apology to her supporters.

This setback makes Rybakina only the second player in history to drop their opening match as the world's top-ranked competitor. The injury also places her participation in jeopardy for subsequent stops on the Asian circuit including the Ningbo Open, Tokyo Open, and the season-ending WTA Finals.

Meanwhile, Aryna Sabalenka who suffered her own early exit in Beijing will now take over the top seed position in Wuhan as she looks to capitalize in the rankings.

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