"I'm still in pain after all these matches" - Elena Rybakina on illness which prompted her to give up Indian Wells title defense before Miami Open

Elena Rybakina recently discussed the illness that led her to withdraw from defending her title in Indian Wells, just before beginning her campaign at the 2024 Miami Open.

Last year's runner-up, Rybakina, kicked off her campaign at the WTA 1000 in Miami 1000 in the second round after receiving a bye in the first. She recently secured a fourth-round victory over home favorite Madison Keys with a score of 6-3, 7-5 in one hour and 24 minutes to advance to her second consecutive Miami Open quarterfinal.

During the post-match interview with Tennis Channel following her win over Keys, Rybakina was asked about her gastrointestinal illness, which led her to forgo her Indian Wells title defense and withdraw from the tournament. She won the BNP Paribas Open title last year by defeating Aryna Sabalenka in straight sets in the championship match.

In response, the World No. 4 revealed that the illness had stopped her from engaging in any physical activity for eight consecutive days, including fitness training and practice sessions.

Despite competing at the Miami Open, Rybakina admitted that she is still experiencing discomfort and mentioned that the rest day between her fourth-round match and the quarterfinals will aid in her recovery process.

"Yeah, unfortunately it was long. It was like eight days without anything and then I had nothing. No no, honestly, no fitness, no tennis. So it was tough to come back. I'm. I'm still in pain after all these matches, but, I feel I'm feeling better and hopefully this extra day, which we have in between, helps. So, yeah, we see how it's going to be in the next one," Elena Rybakina said (at 0:56).

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Elena Rybakina will face Maria Sakkari in Miami Open 2024 QF

Elena Rybakina at the 2024 Miami Open

Elena Rybakina kicked off her Miami Open campaign with a hard-fought victory over Clara Tauson, winning 3-6, 7-5, 6-4 in the second round. She then went on to defeat Taylor Townsend 6-3, 6-7(3), 6-4. Rybakina continued her winning streak by besting Madison Keys in the next round to secure a spot in the quarterfinals.

Meanwhile, Maria Sakkari, like Rybakina, began her campaign in Florida in the second round after receiving a first-round bye. She defeated Yuan Yue and Dayana Yastremska in straight sets in the second and third rounds, respectively. Sakkari advanced to the quarterfinals after Anna Kalinskaya withdrew from their Round-of-16 match due to a right thigh injury.

Rybakina and Sakkari have faced each other three times on the WTA Tour, with the former emerging victorious twice. Their last encounter was at the 2023 WTA Finals, which ended with Rybakina winning the Round 1 match 6-0, 6-7(4), 7-6(2).