World No. 1
Addressing the crowd on the court, Rybakina explained that she had been managing a minor physical issue for several days. She expressed her disappointment at being unable to continue but noted the necessity of prioritizing her recovery for the upcoming WTA Finals in Indian Wells, California, next month. The world No. 1 had already secured her year-end top ranking following a victory over Yulia Putintseva on Thursday.
Tournament Progress and Semifinal Lineup
With Rybakina’s exit, Leylah Fernandez moves directly into the semifinals, where she is set to face Kamilla Rakhimova. Rakhimova earned her spot in the final four after a hard-fought three-set victory against Maya Joint, finishing the match with a scoreline of 7-5, 5-7, 6-1.
Elsewhere in the draw, 18-year-old Slovakian wild-card entry Mia Pohankova continued her impressive run. Pohankova, who celebrated her birthday just last week, secured a place in the semifinals by defeating Alycia Parks in straight sets, 7-6 (3), 6-3. She now awaits the winner of the late quarterfinal clash between the No. 3 seed, Diana Shnaider, and the No. 8 seed, Alex Eala.
