World No. 1 Rybakina falls on her Beijing debut, then pulls out of Wuhan

Saturday 3 October was Elena Rybakina’s first match as world No. 1. She lost it: knocked out on her Beijing opener at the WTA 1000 by Alina Charaeva, the world No. 118, 3-6, 6-4, 6-3. Rybakina had not played since her US Open title, her third Grand Slam, won in the final against Aryna Sabalenka.

It is only the second time in history that a world No. 1 has lost her first match in the top spot. The first was Naomi Osaka, beaten by Kristina Mladenovic in Dubai in 2019.

The biggest win of Charaeva’s career

Charaeva, 24, turned the match around after dropping the first set. “I knew that if I played my best tennis, I could compete with her,” the Armenian said. At 118th in the world, it is the finest win of her career.

A sore foot, and Wuhan gone

The next day, Sunday 4 October, Rybakina pulled out of the Wuhan WTA 1000 (12-18 October). “I am truly sorry to the fans who were looking forward to watching me play. I will take some time to rest and recover. Thank you for your understanding and your unwavering support. See you next year,” she wrote. The organisers confirmed in a statement: “Elena Rybakina will miss the Wuhan tournament due to a foot injury. We wish her a speedy recovery.”

On the cause, accounts differ: an injury picked up in Beijing for We Love Tennis, a player “still bothered by a foot injury” for L’Équipe. According to TennisTemple, her return is expected in Ningbo (WTA 500), where she has a title to defend.