Svitolina Withdraws From Cincinnati With Ankle Injury

Ankle problem, first felt in Toronto, forces retirement

Elina Svitolina has withdrawn from the Cincinnati Open with a right ankle injury, the WTA confirmed on Tuesday. The world No. 9 and eighth seed was scheduled to face China's Wang Xiyu in the round of 16 but was unable to take the court, handing her opponent a walkover into Wednesday's packed schedule. Svitolina had already shown signs of discomfort during her second-round victory over Tereza Valentová, taking a medical timeout to address her right foot during the match before ultimately completing it.

The Ukrainian revealed that the injury originally flared up at the previous week's tournament in Toronto. "The injury I sustained in Toronto, and also pushed by the second-round match, I didn't recover as I wished I could to get ready for my next round," she said. She had fought through pain to see off Valentová but the ankle did not recover sufficiently overnight to allow her to compete at the level required against an in-form opponent.

Career context: a player in the middle of her comeback

Svitolina's withdrawal is a significant blow to the depth of the draw. A former world No. 3, three-time Grand Slam semi-finalist and Wimbledon semi-finalist as recently as 2023, the 31-year-old returned to the Tour in 2023 after maternity leave and has gradually rebuilt her ranking. Losing momentum at this stage of the North American hard-court swing — one of the most important stretches of the season — is a setback she could do without. She had looked sharp in her opening matches in Cincinnati before the ankle flared.

US Open in the crosshairs — but a fortnight away

The immediate concern is the US Open, which begins in New York in fewer than two weeks. Svitolina has reached the semi-finals of the year's final Grand Slam twice in her career and was targeting a deep run at Flushing Meadows. She stated her intention to be fit for the tournament, but an ankle injury at this point requires careful management if she is to arrive in New York healthy. Her preparation will now shift from match play to recovery and targeted fitness work.

Wang Xiyu into the last 16 — Keys looms

Wang Xiyu, the beneficiary of the walkover, now faces American Madison Keys in the round of 16. Keys advanced through her section in straight sets and will be a substantial favourite. The top half of the WTA draw — where Svitolina had been positioned alongside top seed Aryna Sabalenka, fourth seed Coco Gauff and fifth seed Mirra Andreeva — remains highly competitive despite Svitolina's departure.

WTAMuchová needs nine match points to beat Osaka; Alexandrova stuns Nosková

Elsewhere in Wednesday's WTA schedule, the marquee matchup is second seed Elena Rybakina against Diana Shnaider, their first meeting on a hard court. The result carries direct WTA No. 1 ranking implications: Rybakina needs to advance past Sabalenka in results terms to close the gap at the top of the rankings, and Cincinnati points are critical with the US Open to follow. Defending champion Iga Swiatek opens proceedings against France's Diane Parry, and third seed Jessica Pegula faces Sorana Cîrstea. The full WTA last-16 day, minus Svitolina, promises to be one of the most compelling sessions of the tournament so far.