Wimbledon Champion Elena Rybakina Withdraws Eastbourne International
- Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina withdraws from tournament.
Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina has withdrawn from the Eastbourne International, sparking concerns over her fitness for this year’s Wimbledon.
Moscow-born Rybakina, who represents Kazakhstan, won her first Grand Slam title last year, with this year’s tournament beginning on 3 July.
The 24-year-old also reached the final of the Australian Open in January.
Rybakina said she is still recovering from a virus that caused her to withdraw from the French Open in June.
“My team and I decided it would be better to recover this week and prepare for Wimbledon,” she said.
“I am still recovering from the virus I had in Paris and after Roland Garros it was really tough.
“I also picked up another small issue in Berlin.”
Rybakina lost to Donna Vekic in the last 16 in Germany last week and said she was not 100% physically.
Ranked third in the world, Rybakina had been the top seed for the tournament at Eastbourne and has been replaced by Croatian lucky loser Petra Martic, who will face British number one Katie Boulter in the opening round.
There are three Britons in the women’s singles with Jodie Burrage and Harriet Dart playing American Lauren Davis and China’s Zhang Shuai respectively.
