Elena Rybakina’s Heartbreaking Backstage Moment Emerges As She Opens Up About Injury Retirement in Cincinnati

Elena Rybakina was forced to retire from her Cincinnati Open quarterfinal against defending champion Iga Świątek on Thursday after sustaining a left-foot injury. The Kazakhstani star appeared to hurt herself midway through a rally while serving at 1-4 in the opening set. Her post-match comments suggested that she had already been managing discomfort in her heavily strapped foot before taking to the court.

Rybakina noted that an awkward movement during the match aggravated the issue, resulting in her abandoning the tournament.

Elena Rybakina Devastated in Off-Court Moment After Cincinnati Open Retirement

After the clay and grass-court swings failed to live up to her expectations, Rybakina was looking for a favorable shift to start off the North American hardcourt swing.

She resumed her campaign at the WTA 1000 National Bank Open in Toronto, where she reached the final following resilient performances against the likes of Liudmila Samsonova, Naomi Osaka, and Coco Gauff. In the title clash, she was bested by Świątek in straight sets.

Despite the quick turnaround from Toronto to Cincinnati, the World No. 2 appeared to adapt well to the conditions, with commanding displays against Taylor Townsend, Magdalena Fręch, and Diana Shnaider to reach the quarterfinals, where she set up a rematch against Świątek.

A win against Świątek followed by a victory against Jessica Pegula in the semifinal would’ve made Rybakina the new World No. 1, but the stars didn’t align for the player as she retired in pain after injuring her left foot.

Rybakina was visibly devastated as a broadcast camera captured her emotional reaction after she returned backstage. She briefly touched on the lingering injury while talking to the media after the match. “Of course, I feel not the greatest. It’s painful to walk,” she said.

“We’ll know more tomorrow when we have the MRI. It’s been bothering me for a long period of time, but I felt like I had it under control. It was feeling okay before the match. Unfortunately, one wrong movement and something happened.”

Elena Rybakina was chasing her third title of the season after winning her second Grand Slam at the Australian Open in January and claiming the WTA 500 title in Stuttgart in April. She also reached WTA 1000 finals in Indian Wells and Toronto and will now hope to regain full fitness and build on an impressive season.

MORE: ‘I Was Feeling Anxious’ – Iga Świątek Alarmed by Elena Rybakina’s Exit

Whether she can recover in time for the US Open remains to be seen, while her mixed-doubles appearance with Taylor Fritz in New York next week is still in doubt.

This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.