Rybakina pulls out of WTA Finals, Kostyuk takes her place

Indian Wells, November 8. World No. 1 Elena Rybakina has withdrawn from the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) Finals in Indian Wells, United States, with a viral illness; she was due to defend her title, the WTA said.

In a statement the player wrote that she had an incredible season but her body is “not physically ready to compete”. She will spend some time at home resting and preparing for the 2027 season, and hopes to return to Indian Wells in March, a translation of the statement says. The WTA gave the reason as a viral illness; neither the player nor the organisers named a recovery time.

Before the start of the tournament, Rybakina felt unwell during an interview with the Polish channel Canal+ Sport: asked by the journalist whether to stop the conversation, she agreed and said she felt unwell, a video of the conversation posted on social media shows.

Her place in Group 1 goes to Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk, the first alternate: in the tournament’s opening match on Sunday, November 8, she plays Czech Linda Noskova, then meets Americans Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula, the WTA said. Kostyuk finished tenth in the race for the event and will play the Finals for the first time.

Rybakina arrived as the first singles player to qualify: in September she won the US Open, her third Grand Slam title, and took the top spot in the WTA rankings for the first time. Last year in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, she won the Finals without losing a match, having entered as the last of the eight, and beat Belarus’s Aryna Sabalenka in the final. She ends the 2026 season with 54 wins, 14 losses and four titles: she won the Australian Open, the tournaments in Stuttgart and Ningbo, and the US Open. She had secured the year-end No. 1 ranking in advance.

What it means: Rybakina ends the year without defending her title, but with two Grand Slam titles won in one season and the top ranking. At the Finals she loses only the chance to repeat last year’s result: the remaining Group 1 matches will be played by the alternate.

What we know now: The WTA cites a viral illness; no recovery time has been given. The tournament runs from November 8 to 15. Rybakina plans to rest at home and return for the 2027 season.

Background: The WTA Finals gathers the eight best singles players of the season by the race ranking; the ninth and tenth are alternates and enter the draw if someone withdraws. In 2026 the event is held in Indian Wells, in 2025 it was held in Riyadh, ranking previews recall.

We have also reported on Rybakina securing the year-end No. 1 ranking and on her win in Ningbo.