Elena Rybakina — WTA Finals 2026, Indian Wells | Withdrawal and Replacement Update.
Elena Rybakina will finish 2026 as the world’s No. 1 player, but she will not get the opportunity to defend her WTA Finals title.
The 27-year-old Kazakh withdrew from the season-ending championships in Indian Wells on Saturday, November 7, just one day before the tournament was scheduled to begin.
The WTA confirmed that a viral illness was responsible for her withdrawal. Ukrainian Marta Kostyuk, the first alternate, will take Rybakina’s place in Group 1.
It is a disappointing conclusion to a season in which Rybakina won two Grand Slam titles, claimed four trophies overall and secured the year-end No. 1 ranking.
Rybakina Says Her Body Is Not Ready to Compete
Rybakina announced her withdrawal in a statement released through the WTA.
“I am really sad to inform all my fans and supporters that I unfortunately have to withdraw from the WTA Finals this year,” she said.
Despite describing 2026 as an incredible season, Rybakina acknowledged that she was not physically ready for another tournament.
She intends to spend time resting and recovering at home before preparing for the 2027 season.
Her statement ended on a more optimistic note, with Rybakina expressing her desire to return to Indian Wells for the BNP Paribas Open in March.
The withdrawal follows another recent physical setback.
Rybakina pulled out of her quarterfinal at the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo on October 30 because of a neck injury. That retirement came shortly after she had secured the year-end No. 1 ranking.
However, the WTA has officially identified a viral illness as the reason for her absence from Indian Wells, rather than the earlier neck problem.
Four Titles and the World No. 1 Ranking
Rybakina’s withdrawal is particularly unfortunate given what she accomplished during the season.
She finishes 2026 with a 54-14 singles record and four titles:
- https://rallyher.com/elena-rybakina-world-no1-australian-open-dubai/Australian Open
- Stuttgart Open
- US Open
- Ningbo Open
Her US Open triumph in September brought her third Grand Slam singles title and lifted her to world No. 1.
She subsequently secured the year-end top ranking, putting her beyond the reach of her closest challengers before the WTA Finals began.
Rybakina was also the defending champion in Indian Wells.
At the 2025 WTA Finals in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, she entered as the last qualifier and went through the competition undefeated, defeating Aryna Sabalenka in the championship match.
Twelve months later, she had qualified first rather than last.
Yet the opportunity to defend that title has disappeared before she could play a single match.
Marta Kostyuk Replaces Rybakina in Group 1
The withdrawal has also changed the opening day’s schedule.
Marta Kostyuk will take Rybakina’s place alongside Coco Gauff, Jessica Pegula and Linda Noskova in Group 1.
The Ukrainian will open the WTA Finals against Noskova on Sunday, November 8, at noon local time in Indian Wells.
The two players know each other well.
They have already met three times in 2026, with Noskova holding a 2-1 advantage. Their most recent meeting came in the US Open fourth round, where the Czech won 7-5, 5-7, 6-4.
Kostyuk won their clay-court encounter on her way to the Madrid title, while Noskova prevailed on grass during her Wimbledon championship run.
Both players will be making their WTA Finals singles debuts.
Kostyuk will subsequently face Gauff and Pegula in the remaining Group 1 round-robin matches.
The tournament has lost its defending champion and top seed, but Kostyuk’s late inclusion creates an immediate opportunity for another player who narrowly missed automatic qualification.
She was preparing for the WTA Finals as an alternate. On Sunday, she will walk onto the court as one of its eight singles competitors, with a place in the semifinals to fight for.