BNP Paribas Open: Last year's champion Elena Rybakina withdraws 4 hours before first match
Elena Rybakina, the 2023 BNP Paribas Open champion, withdrew from the event four hours before her scheduled first match due to gastrointestinal issues and will not defend her title, the tournament announced Friday afternoon.
Rybakina also pulled out of her most recent event in Dubai in the quarterfinals on Feb. 22, also due to an intestinal illness. Rybakina was scheduled to play in the Eisenhower Cup Tie-Break Tens competition on Tuesday evening, but she pulled out of that event as well.
Rybakina put out a statement: "It is with great sadness I must announce I will not be able to participate at this year's Indian Wells tournament due to gastrointestinal issues. Those close to me know how much this tournament means to me and how much I want to come back and defend my title. I would like to thank all the fans who came out here to support me and I am sorry they will not get a chance to see me play this year. Now I will rest and recover so I can come out and play and compete for my fans to the best of my abilities once again."
She had been seen working on her game on the practice courts throughout the week and met with the media on Thursday night for a scheduled press conference, giving no indication that she was having any health issues.
Rybakina, the No. 4 player in the world, was set to play Nadia Podoroska. She is replaced in the field by lucky loser Kayla Day of the United States.
Rybakina is the fifth player to withdraw from this year's event, including other big names Rafael Nadal and 2021 champion Paula Badosa. No. 30 seed Tomas Etcheverry and unseeded Alexei Popyrin also withdrew.
Rybakina's withdrawal will extend the long streak without a repeat winner in women's singles at this event. There has not been a back-to-back champion in Indian Wells since Martina Navratilova in 1990-91.
Rybakina was a viable candidate to end that drought as she had been playing well in 2024. Her 17 total match wins was the most of any player entering this week, and she has two wins already this year in Brisbane and Abu Dhabi.
The last time the women's champion did not defend her title was Victoria Azarenka in 2017. Azarenka won in 2016 and did not participate in 2017 after giving birth to her son in December of 2016.
The Madison Keys vs. Hailey Baptiste match was moved into the marquee Stadium 1 position vacated by Rybakina.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: BNP Paribas Open: 2023 champion Elena Rybakina withdraws with illness
