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Elena Rybakina continues to face criticism for withdrawing from the Japan Open after reaching the semifinal. Fans and media alike are calling out Rybakina for conveniently taking an exit as she only needed to make it to the semifinal to secure herself a spot on the upcoming WTA Finals in Riyadh.
On Monday's episode of Nothing Major Show, former American doubles partners Steve Johnson and Sam Querrey shared their thoughts on Rybakina's controversial exit. Johnson was not a fan of Rybakina as he said (24:00):
"I don't know. Make the semis and then just pull the rip cord like 'I've made it. Screw you all.'"
Meanwhile, Querrey echoed the sentiments, adding:
"I hate being like, 'Oh, I feel bad for the tournament guy,' but that does stink. Like make the semis and just dip out."
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Adding more to his thoughts on the same, Johnson continued:
"I would rather have her go out there and just lose 1 and 1. Pulling out is hard to do. Like, it’s really impressive, first of all, to make it. She knew she had to make a semifinal to reach the Finals -- she did it. And then she beat two players who had beaten her earlier this year.
"As soon as she beat Mboko, I feel like she just walked off the court, went right to the doctor’s office, and said, ‘Thank you, I’m done, I’ll see you guys never.’"
Johnson added that while he personally would have liked Rybakina to play the semifinals but he acknowledged the pressure of reaching the semifinals in the first place.
Elena Rybakina cited back troubles to explain her Japan Open exit
Elena Rybakina put off her semifinal match against Linda Nosková, but she felt sorry for her fans who would not be able to see her compete in Tokyo. She also explained the reason behind her decision, saying:
"I'm very sorry, I can't play today. I have been having problems with my back and can't play 100%. I am disappointed that my fans will not see me today but I hope to see you next year."
Rybakina will next feature in the WTA Finals, which will take place in Riyadh from Nov. 1. She will compete alongside other top-ranked players, including Aryna Sabalenka (Belarus), Iga Świątek (Poland), Coco Gauff (USA), Amanda Anisimova (USA), Madison Keys (USA), Jessica Pegula (USA) and Jasmine Paolini (Italy).
