World No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka has reacted to Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina withdrawing from the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) Finals, infohub.kz reports.
In an interview with a tennis publication, Sabalenka addressed Rybakina's decision not to defend her title at this year's WTA Finals. This season Sabalenka lost to Rybakina in two Grand Slam finals and surrendered the world No. 1 ranking to the Kazakh player.
"I was surprised, but at the same time I understand that her season was really tough — both physically and mentally. So many hard matches, long tournaments, plus she played a lot in Asia. I was shocked that she withdrew, but if you think about it, I'm not surprised. It was still an amazing season. She has secured the No. 1 spot, so I think it's the right decision — to focus on her health, get a good rest and come into next season with renewed strength," Sabalenka said.
It was previously reported that world No. 1 in singles Elena Rybakina will not play at the WTA Finals. The 27-year-old was entered in the Indian Wells event as the top seed but announced a day before the scheduled start that she would not compete.