No.4 seed Elena Rybakina has withdrawn from the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships. The talented player was set to compete in the quarterfinals but had to step back due to a gastrointestinal illness. This unexpected development has led to the unseeded Jasmine Paolini advancing to the semifinals via walkover.
Rybakina has been one of the standout players of 2024, winning two titles in Brisbane and Abu Dhabi and compiling an impressive 17-3 record overall. Her performance in the Middle East swing has been particularly strong; she made a run to the Doha final last week and notched two further wins in Dubai.
However, after a grueling match against qualifier Magdalena Frech, which lasted for 2 hours and 39 minutes, Rybakina admitted to feeling the effects of a strenuous month. She stated that she could see her level dropping a bit and was unsure about how much she could push and recover in the limited time.
The withdrawal of Rybakina, who has been in top form this year, is indeed a significant development in the tournament. It will be interesting to see how this impacts the dynamics of the competition and whether Paolini can seize this opportunity to make her mark in the tournament. As for Rybakina, fans worldwide will be hoping for a swift recovery and a return to the court soon.
Rybakina in Dubai, ranking, and results in 2024
Now the world no.4, the Kazakhstani has a composed 17-3 win-loss record in 2024. Elena is competing in Dubai where she toppled the world no.27 Victoria Azarenka 4-6 6-2 ret. and the world no.53 Magdalena Frech 7-65 3-6 6-4.
The Kazakhstani conquered 2 titles in 2024 in Brisbane and Abu Dhabi. Elena was the runner-up in Doha (Qatar TotalEnergies Open).
Elena won 7 titles in her career: 4 on hard courts, 2 on clay courts and 1 on grass courts. (See the list of her titles)
Paolini in Dubai, ranking, and results in 2024
Currently ranked no.26, Paolini has managed to achieve a compiled 7-5 match record in 2024. Paolini is currently playing in Dubai where she bested the world no.14 Beatriz Haddad Maia 4-6 6-4 6-0, the world no.33 Leylah Annie Fernandez 6-3 6-4 and the world no.11 Maria Sakkari 6-4 6-2.
Elena Rybakina and Jasmine Paolini fought against each other only twice. Their head to head is 1-1. Previously, the last time they squared off, Jasmine Paolini won 4-6 5-2 ret. in the 3rd round in Cincinnati (Western & Southern Open) in August 2023.
