Reuters1 minute reading
Former Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina On Monday, she withdrew from the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo, days after criticizing the WTA for introducing performance exemptions at the tournament.
Byes are usually awarded to higher-ranked players, but performance byes allow players who performed well the previous week to advance directly to the second round of the following tournament.
Byes for the Pan Pacific Open have been granted to Maria Sakkariwho won the Guadalajara Open title on Saturday, and Caroline Garcia, who reached the semi-finals. Both players are lower ranked than Rybakina, who was drawn against Linda Noskova in the first round.
“As a player I want to give my all on the pitch and at the moment my body is not ready to do that,” Rybakina said on Instagram.
“That’s why I decided to listen to my body and withdraw from the tournament. I love Japan, my fans here are so unique and that’s why it’s a difficult decision.”
Rybakina said her decision to withdraw from the tournament had nothing to do with her missing a bye, adding: “The subject of the WTA is another subject on which I have my opinions and I will express them clearly in the future.”
