Rybakina retires injured in Cincinnati, ending her bid to replace Sabalenka as world number one
Elena Rybakina's chase for the world number one ranking ended in the cruelest way on 21 August 2026, when a left ankle injury forced her to retire from her Cincinnati Open quarter-final against Iga Swiatek after just five games.
Rybakina, the second seed and reigning Australian Open champion, was trailing 4-1 when she called for a medical timeout at 40-40. After consulting the trainer, she played only one more point before walking to the net to shake hands — less than half an hour into the match, according to Arab News. The WTA's official scoreboard records the result as Swiatek def. Rybakina 4-1, retired, per the tournament scores page.
The timing could hardly have been worse for Rybakina. She needed to reach the Cincinnati final to overtake Aryna Sabalenka as world number one, the BBC reported. Sabalenka, the current number one, had already suffered a surprise fourth-round defeat by Czech teenager Sara Bejlek earlier in the week — a result that briefly swung the door wide open for Rybakina to pounce.
Instead, the door stays shut. Swiatek, the tournament's second seed and defending champion, advances to a semi-final against Jessica Pegula. The Pole is bidding to become the first woman since Serena Williams in 2014 and 2015 to successfully defend a Cincinnati title, the BBC noted. She arrived in Cincinnati on a high, having beaten Rybakina in the Canadian Open final the previous week.
For Rybakina, the concern now shifts to the US Open, which begins on 30 August. Sabalenka is the two-time defending champion in New York, and with the year's final Grand Slam just over a week away, any lingering ankle problem for the Kazakh could reshape the draw before a ball is hit in earnest.
Swiatek and Rybakina have developed one of the tour's most compelling rivalries — big serve and flat power against relentless court coverage and heavy topspin. Their Cincinnati quarter-final promised another chapter. It lasted five games. Fans got a glimpse of the argument, then silence.
The broader rankings picture remains tight. Sabalenka keeps her number one spot despite her early Cincinnati exit. Rybakina stays close but cannot close the gap from the treatment table. And Swiatek, increasingly the player to beat on hard courts this summer, keeps winning — sometimes without needing to finish the job herself.
