"That 'Breaking: Elena Rybakina withdraws from Olympics with illness' gonna make me lose my sh*t" - Fans baffled by 'no sign' of Kazakh in Paris

Elena Rybakina, who entered the 2024 Paris Olympics as the third seed, is expected to be gearing up for her pursuit of the coveted women's singles gold at Roland Garros. However, the Kazakh has yet to be spotted in the French capital, sparking confusion among tennis fans.

While Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff, Jessica Pegula, Naomi Osaka and other top WTA stars have been seen preparing diligently for the prestigious event, Rybakina hasn't made a public appearance at Roland Garros or the Olympic Village.

With the women's singles draw set to be announced on Thursday, July 25, and the action commencing on July 27, the Kazakh's seeming absence so close to the event has drawn scrutiny. Alongside her singles campaign, the 25-year-old is also teaming up with Alexander Bublik in the mixed doubles event in Paris.

Given that the likes of Jannik Sinner and Holger Rune have withdrawn from the Olympics, Elena Rybakina's lack of visibility has caught the attention of tennis fans, with many of them raising concerns about there being "no sign of life" from the World No. 4 yet.

"Where is Rybakina is she playing the Olympics that's need to be true if this to happen lol," one fan commented.

"Out for Olympics: Rune, Hurkacz, Vondrousova, Sinner. And no signs of life from Elena Rybakina in Paris yet...," another fan chimed in.

"Where is she 😫😫😫," questioned another.

The Kazakh's persistent struggle with illness issues throughout the season has already forced her withdrawal from major tournaments like the Dubai Tennis Championships, the Indian Wells Open and the Italian Open. This has caused fans to worry about her potentially pulling out of the Olympics as well.

"That "BREAKING: ELENA WITHDRAWS FROM OLYMPICS WITH ILLNESS" gonna make me lose my sh*t," one fan posted.

"This is the feeling of every Elena fans few days before a tournament loool. Due to we even dont know if she is in Paris. Withdraw or not ? Sick or healthy ? Lol," another fan wrote.

"Haven't seen rybakina in a while but i hope she's okay and that she's isolated i don't want her to get any virus," said another.

On the other hand, some fans have taken a more humorous view of the situation, joking that Elena Rybakina is likely enjoying watching her supporters panic from her hotel room in Paris.

"Rybakina in the hotel room watching us going crazy for no reason," one fan commented.

"Elena Rybakina showing up in Paris 19 minutes before her Olympics R1 match:" another fan joked.

"It's not easy" - Elena Rybakina on her struggle to balance tennis career with persistent illness issues

Elena Rybakina (Source: Getty)

During her recent campaign at the 2024 Wimbledon Championships, Elena Rybakina shed light on the challenge of balancing her tennis career with her persistent illness issues this season.

"Well it's not easy because sometimes you have more energy and you want to do some interesting stuff, sometimes you are too tired and you just want to be on the couch after the matches," Elena Rybakina said in a press conference.

"It's just not easy to balance it out and your wishes and also be prepared for the next day. So, I mean it's just you're trying to balance it out really," she added.

The World No. 4 reached the semifinals of this year's grasscourt Major, where she was defeated by eventual champion Barbora Krejcikova. The Kazakh also made a run to the quarterfinals of the French Open and will aim to improve on her performance at Roland Garros during her Olympic campaign.

Rybakina fell just short of clinching a medal at the Tokyo Olympics. After losing to Belinda Bencic in the semifinals, the 25-year-old suffered a narrow 1-6, 7-6(5), 6-4 defeat to Elina Svitolina in the clash for the bronze medal.