“No, no me encuentro well,” Elena Rybakina told Canal+ Sport after cutting short a live television interview in the build-up to the season finale.
The world number one announced her withdrawal from the WTA Finals 2026 due to medical reasons, tournament officials confirmed in Indian Wells.
Rybakina arrived in California as the defending champion and top-ranked player on the WTA Tour, having captured both the Australian Open and the US Open earlier in the season. Her late withdrawal disrupted the composition of the elite eight-woman field, opening the door for Ukrainian player Marta Kostyuk to enter the tournament as an alternate.
Tournament director Garbiñe Muguruza stated that Rybakina had been managing physical issues prior to her arrival, noting that the Kazakh player had previously withdrawn from the tournament in Tokyo due to a neck discomfort.
Noskova and Pegula Secure Group 1 Semifinal Spots
Linda Noskova secured the top spot in Group 1 following the conclusion of the round-robin stage at the WTA Finals 2026. The 21-year-old Czech player finished atop the group standings with two victories from her three matches, amassing a 71% set-winning percentage and a 58% game-winning percentage.
Jessica Pegula took the second semifinal berth from Group 1. The American finished the round-robin phase with two wins and one loss, recording a 63% set-winning percentage and a 51% game-winning percentage.
Coco Gauff and Marta Kostyuk missed out on the knockout rounds. Gauff finished third in the group with a 57% set-winning percentage, while Kostyuk concluded her campaign winless in three matches, suffering defeats against Noskova and others during her debut appearance.
Andreeva Dominates Group 2 as Svitolina Reaches Semifinals
Mirra Andreeva dominated Group 2 by winning all three of her round-robin encounters in straight sets, finishing with a 100% set-winning rate and a 77% game-winning rate. Elina Svitolina joined her in the semifinals by capturing the second qualifying spot after defeating Aryna Sabalenka in their final group fixture, as reported by Canal Tenis.
Svitolina, a 2018 WTA Finals champion, rebounded from an initial defeat in the group stage to secure her place among the final four. Sabalenka finished third in the group with one win and two losses.
Karolina Muchova withdrew ahead of her final group match due to stomach ailments and was replaced by Diana Shnaider. Muchova had already been eliminated from semifinal contention following losses in her first two matches.
Tiebreak Rules in the Round-Robin Stage
When players finish the round-robin phase with identical match records, the WTA applies a strict hierarchy of tiebreak criteria. The primary determinant is total match wins.
If players remain tied in wins, organizers factor in the number of matches played to account for alternates who enter mid-tournament. Head-to-head results break ties between exactly two competitors.
For triple ties involving three players with identical records, the WTA calculates the percentage of sets won across all matches, followed by the percentage of games won if necessary. Any remaining ties between two players are resolved by their direct head-to-head match outcome.
Semifinal Schedule and Head-to-Head Records
Linda Noskova and Elina Svitolina will meet on Saturday, November 14, in the semifinals at Indian Wells, where fans in Spain can watch the action exclusively through WTA TV and Tennis Channel via Orange TV (123) and the official WTA TV platform, while viewers in South America can follow every court live on ESPN and Disney+ Premium.
The match is scheduled for approximately 1:30 p.m. local time in California, corresponding to 6:30 p.m. in Argentina and 10:30 p.m. in Spain.
Head-to-head records show four previous encounters on the professional tour, with Noskova holding a 3–1 advantage over Svitolina. The Czech player won their most recent meeting in the Billie Jean King Cup earlier in the season by a score of 6-3, 7-6, adding to prior victories at Stuttgart in 2026 and Monterrey in 2024, while Svitolina claimed victory at the Australian Open in 2024.
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