Elena Rybakina Forced To Retire Against Antonia Ruzic At Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships
Tennis, for all its glitz and glamour, has a funny way of reminding us that the players aren’t actually machines. We see the blistering aces, the precision forehands, and the endurance that seems superhuman, and we forget that sometimes, they just wake up feeling like absolute garbage. That was the vibe in Dubai today.
Elena Rybakina, the tournament’s top seed and a player who usually moves across the court with the grace of a gazelle, looked more like she was wading through molasses. The Kazakh star’s campaign at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships came to an abrupt, screeching halt in the third round, but not because she was outplayed in the traditional sense.
She retired trailing 1-0 in the third set against lucky loser Antonia Ruzic, handing the Croatian underdog a ticket to her first-ever WTA 1000 quarterfinal.
A Rough Morning For the Top Seed
From the jump, something looked off. Despite Rybakina scrapping her way to a 7-5 win in the opening set, it wasn’t the clinical, icy-cool tennis we’re used to seeing. It was labored. It was heavy. It was the kind of tennis you play when your body is screaming at you to go back to bed.
By the time the second set rolled around, the wheels didn’t just fall off; the engine exploded. Rybakina dropped the set, and early in the third, after going down a break, she pulled the ripcord.
The scene with the physio was telling. There were no complex medical diagrams or discussions about torn ligaments. Rybakina simply told the trainer she hadn’t slept well. She woke up with a “heavy head.” Her legs felt like lead.
It is a relatable feeling for anyone who has ever tried to function on zero sleep, let alone play elite-level professional sports in the desert heat. But in the ruthless world of the WTA Tour, a bad night’s sleep is all it takes to derail a title defense. It’s a bummer for the fans, but it is also a stark reminder of the physical toll the tour takes.
Ruzic: From Qualifying Exit To Quarterfinal Dreams
Ruzic actually lost in the first round of qualifying. And it wasn’t just a regular loss; she blew six match points against Rebecca Sramkova. That’s the kind of loss that makes you want to smash a racquet and book the next flight home. But fate had other plans. She slid into the main draw as a lucky loser, and she capitalized on that luck.
Beating the World No. 4 (even a sickly one) is a resume builder that changes careers. Ruzic didn’t just stand there and wait for Rybakina to collapse; she hung in there. She fought back after dropping that tight first set. She put the ball in play and asked the questions Rybakina’s body couldn’t answer.
What This Means For Dubai
The carnage in the draw is real. With the top seed out, the bracket has opened up. Ruzic now finds herself deep in a WTA 1000 event, staring down a quarterfinal match against either Elina Svitolina or Belinda Bencic.
For Rybakina, this is a “hit the reset button” moment. It’s not a career-ending injury; it’s a bad day at the office fueled by exhaustion. She’ll sleep it off, recover, and likely come back firing aces next week.
But for Ruzic? This is the dream. From the despair of a qualifying exit to the quarterfinals of a premier event in the span of a few days. It’s why we watch this sport. You just never know when a lucky loser is going to turn into a legitimate contender.
