Elena Rybakina, tennis world number one, withdrew from the WTA Finals at Indian Wells on Saturday due to a viral illness, citing physical exhaustion after a demanding season that included two Grand Slam titles. Ukraine's Marta Kostyuk, making her WTA Finals debut, replaced the defending champion in the eight-player field. Tournament director Garbine Muguruza said Rybakina was unable to recover in time from late-season physical problems and neck injury.
Kostyuk, who won the Madrid title this year and broke into the top 10, was already in Indian Wells as an alternate. The Ukrainian has been vocal about Russia's invasion of her country and does not shake hands with Russian or Belarusian players. Muguruza confirmed the tournament supports players' individual decisions on such matters.
Rybakina's withdrawal could benefit world number two Aryna Sabalenka, who won Indian Wells earlier this year, in narrowing the rankings gap. Muguruza emphasized the strength of the remaining field, noting multiple first-time finalists would make the tournament competitive despite the top seed's absence.
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