Elena Rybakina withdraws from Eastbourne due to "change in schedule"

Top seed Elena Rybakina will not play the Rothesay International in Eastbourne ahead of Wimbledon.

The official reason provided for the Kazakh’s latest withdrawal: “a change in schedule.”

Illnesses previously prevented Rybakina from defending either of her WTA 1000 titles at Indian Wells and Rome this year. Ailments also forced her to cut campaigns short in Dubai and last week in Berlin, where the world No. 4 stopped four games into her quarterfinal with Victoria Azarenka due to abdominal pain.

Despite the setbacks, the 2022 Wimbledon champion lifted three trophies (all at the 500 level) from five finals overall during the first four months of the season. The 25-year-old is bidding to clinch her first grass-court title since becoming a major winner on Centre Court.

Rybakina, who trained at the All England Club Sunday on the Aorangi Practice Courts, was eliminated by Ons Jabeur in the quarterfinals last year—a rematch of the prior year’s championship match.

Lucky loser Sofia Kenin replaced her atop the Eastbourne draw.

The American faces Harriet Dart for a place in the last eight. The local hopeful was among Monday’s WTA winners, alongside Jelena Ostapenko, Leylah Fernandez and Magda Linette.

On the men’s side, Marcos Giron ousted reigning champion Francisco Cerundolo, 7-6 (5), 7-6 (4), and Jerry Shang posted a 7-5, 3-6, 7-6 (4) victory over No. 7 seed Tomas Martin Etcheverry.