Defending champion Elena Rybakina (illness) withdraws from the Rome tournament.
Elena Rybakina, the defending champion, withdrew from the Internazionali BNL d’Italia in Rome on Friday due to sickness. On Friday, she was set to face Romania’s Irina-Camelia Begu in the first round. Oceane Dodin, a lucky loser, replaced Rybakina, while Begu won in a first-set walkover.
“I am disappointed to have to withdraw from Rome this year, but unfortunately I do not feel well enough to compete,” Rybakina, the No. 4 seed, said in a statement. “I had great recollections from last year and was looking forward to defending my crown.
” Rybakina, of Kazakhstan, has withdrawn from two competitions she won last year. In March, she withdrew from the tournament in Indian Wells, Calif., citing illness. Rybakina defeated Ukraine’s Anhelina Kalinina in the 2023 final in Rome. Rybakina has won eight WTA titles, including Wimbledon in 2022.
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