Tennis-Rybakina withdraws from Tokyo quarter-finals with neck injury

Tennis - WTA 500 - Pan Pacific Open - Ariake Coliseum, Tokyo, Japan - October 30, 2026 Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina waves towards spectators after retiring from her quarter final match against Canada's Leylah Fernandez and giving a walkover due to injury REUTERS/Yasuyoshi Chiba

Oct 30 (Reuters) - ⁠World number one Elena ⁠Rybakina withdrew from the Pan ‌Pacific Open quarter-finals on Friday due to a neck injury, sending ​Canada's Leylah Fernandez through ⁠to the ⁠last four via walkover.

• "Unfortunately, I’ve been ⁠experiencing ‌inflammation and pain in my neck, ⁠which has been affecting my ability ​to ‌play at my best," the ⁠Kazakh ​said in a statement on the WTA website.

• Rybakina ⁠secured the year-end number ​one ranking after beating compatriot Yulia Putintseva in the second ⁠round.

• Fernandez will face Russia'sKamilla Rakhimova for a place in the final.

• Rybakina is ​expected to compete ⁠at next month's season-endingWTA Finals ​in Indian ‌Wells, California.

(Reporting by Karan ​Prashant Saxena in Bengaluru, editing by Ed Osmond)