Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina serves against Canada's Victoria Mboko during their women's singles match at the Pan Pacific Open tennis tournament in Tokyo on October 24, 2025. Photo: AFP
The 2022 Wimbledon champion was due to face Linda Noskova in the semifinals at the Tokyo tournament.
“I’m very sorry I can’t play today,” Rybakina said in a statement. ”I have been having problems with my back this week and can’t play 100%."
Noskova will face Belinda Bencic in Sunday's final after the Swiss player beat Sofia Kenin 7-6 (5), 3-6, 6-2 in the other semifinal match.
Bencic heads into her 10th career final, which comes 10 years after her previous Pan Pacific Open final appearance, a loss in 2015 to Agnieszka Radwanska. Bencic also won the Olympic singles gold medal and doubles silver in Tokyo four years ago.
Rybakina beat Victoria Mboko 6-3, 7-6 (4) on Friday to take the eighth spot for next month’s lucrative WTA Finals in Saudi Arabia.
At the WTA Finals, scheduled Nov. 1-8, Rybakina will join top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff, Amanda Anisimova, Madison Keys, Jessica Pegula, and Jasmine Paolini.
Gauff is the defending champion in Riyadh. The American beat Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen in last year’s final and received $4.8 million in prize money.
(For more sports news and updates, follow Ahram Online Sports on Twitter at @AO_Sports and on Facebook at AhramOnlineSports.)
Short link: