Fresh off her first US Open title and the world No. 1 ranking, Elena Rybakina won't be on court in Shenzhen this week. The Kazakh star withdrew from the Billie Jean King Cup Finals just days after beating Aryna Sabalenka 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 in the New York final, citing an Achilles injury that has been nagging her since August.
The injury story is a rough one. Rybakina first pulled out of a quarterfinal at the Cincinnati WTA 1000 last month because of the Achilles problem, and the Kazakhstan Tennis Federation has since confirmed she played through the pain at the US Open — reportedly with the help of painkillers in her final matches. Her coaching team says she needs at least two weeks of treatment and rehab before resuming full training, with further medical checks planned in Kazakhstan.
It's a bruising end to what has been a remarkable year. The 27-year-old now holds both hard-court majors for 2026, having won the Australian Open in January before her Flushing Meadows triumph, to go with her 2022 Wimbledon title. The win over two-time defending champion Sabalenka also ended the Belarusian's reign at the top and made Rybakina the first player representing Kazakhstan to reach No. 1 in the women's game.
Her absence leaves a sizeable hole in Kazakhstan's lineup for the Finals, which run Sept. 22-27 at the Shenzhen Bay Sports Center. Kazakhstan face Spain in the quarterfinals on Sept. 23, and with Rybakina out, Yulia Putintseva steps up as the leading singles player, supported by Anna Danilina, Zhibek Kulambayeva and Sonya Zhiyenbayeva under captain Yuriy Schukin. Doubles depth may be their best card against a Spanish side that would have been planning around Rybakina. Italy arrive as the team to beat, having lifted the trophy at the last two editions.
For travellers in southern China, the week still offers plenty. Shenzhen is an easy add-on to a Hong Kong trip — it's about 30-40 minutes by high-speed rail or metro connection — and the Shenzhen Bay Sports Center sits in the Nanshan district, close to the city's waterfront parks and tech-hub skyline. Tickets to the Finals remain the cheapest way to see top-tier international tennis live in Asia this autumn, even without the world No. 1 on court.
Rybakina, meanwhile, will spend her recovery time at home in Kazakhstan, with plans to meet fans and run tennis masterclasses for young players in Astana and Almaty — a nice consolation for local fans who won't see her compete in China.