Rybakina withdraws - she won't be defending her title in Rome!
Is the hecatomb of withdrawals and injuries affecting women's tennis too? While the men's draw has seen a succession of withdrawals, the women thought they were safe. Unfortunately, this is no longer the case, as Elena Rybakina, world No. 4 and defending champion, has thrown in the towel.
This women's "big 3", theorized by all those who have been following her for several weeks, has now lost one of its members. Does Rvbakina pave the way for a reunion between Sabalenka and Swiatek in the final?
In any case, the Kazakh loses out big time in the rankings and sees the podium slipping further away (more than 1,500 points behind Gauff in the standings).