WTA Finals 2026: Defending Champion Elena Rybakina Withdraws Due To Illness, Marta Kostyuk To Face Linda Noskova

New Delhi, Nov 8: World No. 1 Elena Rybakina has withdrawn from the 2026 WTA Finals at Indian Wells, citing a viral illness.

"I am really sad to inform all my fans and supporters that I unfortunately have to withdraw from the WTA Finals this year,” Rybakina said in a statement.

"I've had an incredible season but my body is just not physically ready to compete. I’m going to spend some time resting and recovering at home and getting myself ready for the 2027 season. The WTA Finals is a very special tournament and I wish everyone the best of luck this week. Can’t wait to be back in Indian Wells in March!" she added.

Kostyuk Replaces Rybakina In Group 1

Marta Kostyuk will assume Rybakina's spot in Group 1, and will face Linda Noskova in the tournament's opening match on Sunday, in addition to Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula in subsequent round-robin matches, WTA reports.

Rybakina Ends Season With Four Titles

Rybakina entered the year-ender event as the defending champion, going undefeated at the 2025 edition in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, as the last qualifier.

This season, she was the first singles qualifier after winning her third Grand Slam at the US Open, where she also took the No. 1 ranking.

Rybakina finishes her 2026 season on the WTA with a 54-14 record and four titles -- Australian Open, Stuttgart, US Open and Ningbo. Despite the withdrawal, she earned the WTA year-end No. 1 singles ranking presented by PIF while in Tokyo.

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Kostyuk Faces Noskova In Opening Match

Following World No. 1 and defending champion's withdrawal, Kostyuk enters the competition as first alternate.

For the fourth time this season, Noskova and Kostyuk will go toe-to-toe to kick off the tournament. They've played each other on all three surfaces, with Noskova edging out Kostyuk 7-5, 5-7, 6-4 in their lone hard-court meeting at the US Open fourth round.

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(Except for the headline, this article has not been edited by FPJ's editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)