Advertisement
Due to an upper respiratory illness, world number 4 Elena Rybakina pulled out from her third-round match in the women’s singles draw of the 2023 French Open against Spain’s Sara Sorribes Tormo on Saturday. The statement came only moments before the reigning Wimbledon champion took the court on Saturday.
Rybakina, 23, told the media after her second-round match that she was feeling ill and hoped to recover, but she struggled during a 10-minute workout session on the court.
She said, “I saw the doctor and they said that actually it’s all a virus here in Paris. I guess with my allergy, immune system just went down and I picked up something. As I said, I was not sleeping well for two days. I had fever, headache. I think you can hear [my voice] also. So, yeah, it’s difficult to perform and obviously to run and even breathe. So I think that was the only right decision I could make.” Rybakina added that she is upset not being able to play, however, that’s life.
Prior to travelling to London to defend her Wimbledon championship, Rybakina will participate in Berlin and Eastbourne during the grasscourt season.
With Rybakina out, Sorribes Tormo advances to the round of 16 through walkover for the first time in her Grand Slam career. She will take on the person who wins the match between Beatriz Haddad Maia and Ekaterina Alexandrova.
