Rybakina withdraws from Indian Wells due to illness
Illness has forced defending champion Elena Rybakina to withdraw from the BNP Paribas Open
SMI / Panoramic
Elena Rybakina will not have the opportunity to defend her title in Indian Wells this year, with the Kazakh announcing her withdrawal from the tournament on Friday.
The world No 4 was due to play Argentina Nadia Podoroska on Friday evening. American Kayla Day now receives a spot in the main draw and will play Podoroska in her place.
Rybakina is yet to make an official statement about her withdrawal, but the BNP Paribas Open has said her withdrawal was due to illness.
This time last year, Rybakina defeated Aryna Sabalenka in the Indian Wells final to win the title for the first time.
You might also like this
Sabalenka survives Rybakina in Indian Wells epic to claim 10th WTA 1000 title
tennis majors
March 17, 2001: The day Serena Williams won Indian Wells after controversy
tennis majors
Rybakina eyes No. 1 after rising to career-high ranking at Indian Wells
tennis majors
March 15, 1996: The day Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi both lost at Indian Wells
tennis majors
Credits
People in this post
More tennis news
October 1, 2026
“Something was off”: Navarro shuts down her 2026 season after RED-S and Hashimoto’s diagnoses, and returns in 2027
Emma Navarro has revealed she was diagnosed in the fall of 2025 with...
Cédric Rouquette
October 1, 2026
October 1, 1988: The day Steffi Graf won the “Golden Grand Slam”
On October 1, 1988, Steffi Graf added an Olympic Gold to her calendar...
Alexandre Sokolowski
October 1, 2026
Jacquet spoils Rune’s comeback on the ATP Tour in Tokyo
Kyrian Jacquet won all 19 of his first-serve points and never faced a...
Tennis Majors
September 30, 2026
Alcaraz: Best-of-five stays for Slams, calendar needs change
Asked in Tokyo whether the majors should drop best-of-five, Carlos Alcaraz refused the...
Cédric Rouquette
September 30, 2026
Djokovic makes it 30-0 in Beijing, beating Borges despite treatment
Novak Djokovic (No. 6) beat Nuno Borges 6-3, 7-6 (2) to reach the...
Tennis Majors
Your comments