Rybakina retires from Cincinnati quarter-final against Swiatek

World number two Elena Rybakina retired from her quarter-final against Iga Swiatek at the Cincinnati Masters on Thursday (August 20, 2026), trailing 4-1 in the opening set. Swiatek progressed to the semi-finals after the Kazakh halted play and was unable to continue.

Rybakina stopped play after suddenly being unable to put weight on her left heel; following a brief intervention from her trainer she retired after one more point. The injury arrives 10 days before the U.S. Open begins. Had Rybakina reached the Cincinnati final she would have risen to number one in the world for the first time, following incumbent Aryna Sabalenka's round-of-16 exit.

Belarus's Sabalenka was stunned by Czech Sara Bejlek, ranked 35th, in a gritty match that finished in the early hours of Thursday morning. The defeat was described in the original report as the latest in a string of setbacks for the four-time major champion.

Third-seeded Jessica Pegula reached the Cincinnati semi-finals by defeating Amanda Anisimova 6-4, 2-6, 7-6 (7/4). Pegula's win sets up the semi-final opponent for Swiatek.

"Honestly, I was feeling anxious just looking at this situation," Swiatek said in an on-court interview. "I hope that she will be fine. Obviously the net tournament is the priority. "I know this one is important as well, but U.S. Open is U.S. Open and I hope she's going to be ready for that. She's also super-close to being number one in the world, so it's a shame."

Swiatek will face third-seeded Jessica Pegula in the Cincinnati semi-final; Pegula advanced after beating Amanda Anisimova 6-4, 2-6, 7-6 (7/4).