Rybakina came onto court to address the crowd and explain that she could not perform at her best. Her withdrawal ends her run at the Japanese tournament, where she was due to face Fernandez for a place in the last four.
She apologised to spectators and said the problem had troubled her for several days. The description of the injury comes from her own statements; the sources consulted provide neither an independent medical assessment nor a clinical timetable for her return.