Rybakina suddenly withdrew from Roland-Garros due to “a virus here in Paris”

“I was not feeling good yesterday and the day before so I didn’t sleep two nights and had some fever” she said

AI / Reuters / Panoramic

June 3, 2023

Elena Rybakina pulled out of Roland-Garros ahead of her third-round match Sara Sorribes Tormo, scheduled on Saturday, due to what she describes as a viral illness. Rybakina’s withdrawal is the loss of one of its main contenders for the women’s title.

“I was not feeling good yesterday and the day before so I didn’t sleep two nights and had some fever,” Rybakina told a press conference.

“Today I really tried during the warm-up but I feel that the right decision is to withdraw because it’s really tough to play in this condition. I saw the doctor, and they said that actually it’s all a virus here in Paris.”

Rybakina, Roland-Garros, 2023 — Rybakina at Roland-Garros, 2023 AI/Reuters/Panoramic

Rybakina was among the title favourites

She added : “I guess with my allergy, my immune system just went down and I picked up something.”

“I’m really upset not be able to play, but I guess that’s life. There is a lot of ups and downs. Today I just wanted to give 100%, and obviously I’m far from being 100%.

“It started after my second match”, she said. “Just all of a sudden I start to feel bad, and it was not better at all. It’s just overall feeling that I cannot stay on the court more than 10 minutes. I do one rally, and I cannot breathe, and it was just the warmup from the middle of the court. So there is no chance I can even run and try to compete.”

World No.3 on Monday ?

Kazakhstan’s Rybakina was among the title favourites alongside trophy holder Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka. She won the WTA1000 Rome title in the build-up to the clay court Grand Slam. She might peak as the World number 3 after the competition anyway thanks to Jessica Pegula’s and Caroline Garcia’s early loss in the French Open.

Only Ons Jabeur, who was beaten by Rybakina in the 2022 Wimbledon final, can prevent the Kazakh player to be No. 3 in ten days, but Jabeur will have to win the trophy.

Rybakina still plans to play the WTA events of Berlin and Eastbourne before defending her title.