Rybakina Steps Back, Swiatek Skips Finals

Elena Rybakina had a strong season. She was ranked first in her sport. The tennis star pulled out of the year-end final. The event was set in Indian Wells, California. It was set to start soon. She said her body was not ready. She said she was not physically ready to play. She planned to rest at home. She wanted to get ready for the 2027 season. She also skipped a big tournament in Tokyo. It was a WTA 500 event. It happened in late October. She was set to face Leylah Fernandez. She had neck pain. She had neck inflammation. Those were the reasons.

Later, she won the U.S. Open final. She beat Aryna Sabalenka. The match had three sets. She got her third Grand Slam title. It was her second win over Sabalenka this year. She also beat Sabalenka in three sets at the Australian Open. That was a few months before. A win over Sabalenka in Riyadh last year brought her money. It was almost 5.3 million pounds. She won two Grand Slam events. She was trying to be the first player since Serena Williams in 2014. She wanted back-to-back WTA Finals wins. The final was in California. It moved from the Middle East. It moved for safety reasons. The event went on without the top player.

World No. 10 Marta Kostyuk was first alternate. She would face Linda Noskova. Noskova was Wimbledon champion. The round-robin stage was on Sunday. The spot went to Iga Swiatek. Swiatek was world No. 9. She ended her season on Oct. 20. She called it one of the most hard seasons. She wanted to rest and recharge. She wanted to get ready for 2027. Swiatek had 278 points. She led Kostyuk.

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