Elina Svitolina: “[I’m] Very Sad to Pull Out This Round”
World No. 9 Elina Svitolina has officially withdrawn from the Cincinnati Open prior to her scheduled third-round encounter against China’s Wang Xiyu. The eighth seed was forced to pull out due to a lingering right ankle injury.
The setback stems from an injury Svitolina sustained during her semifinal run at the National Bank Open in Toronto, which was exacerbated during a grueling second-round match in Cincinnati.
“Unfortunately I tried my best to recover, but the injury I sustained in Toronto and also pushed by the second round match, I didn’t recover as I wish I could to get ready for my next round,” Svitolina said in a statement.
“I’ve been advised by the doctors to take a little bit of time to rest and recover completely. I was looking forward to playing here. I have of course great memories of playing here and going deep in the tournament, and had a great match here two nights ago. [I’m] very sad to pull out this round.”
A Heroic Second-Round Effort
Svitolina’s withdrawal follows one of the most miraculous escape acts of the season. In her second-round battle against Czech prospect Tereza Valentova, the Ukrainian took an early medical timeout in the second set to treat her right foot.
Despite visible discomfort, Svitolina staged a stunning turnaround—saving seven match points in the second set before steamrolling through the decider 6-0 to secure the win.
While her Cincinnati campaign ended prematurely, the result still marks an improvement over her second-round exit at the tournament last year. Svitolina will now focus her recovery efforts on the upcoming US Open, where she aims to bounce back from a first-round exit in 2025.
Wang Xiyu Capitalizes on Qualification Run
For Wang Xiyu, the walkover victory grants her a passage into the round of 16 at a WTA 1000 event for only the second time in her career. Her previous appearance at this stage came three years ago at the 2023 Internazionali BNL d’Italia in Rome.
Having battled her way through qualifying in Cincinnati, Wang captured her first hard-court wins since the tour transitioned back from grass. The 25-year-old Chinese player has put together a solid 2026 campaign, which includes:
- A fourth-round run at Roland Garros.
- A runner-up finish at the WTA 125 event in Brescia, Italy.
- Multiple titles on the ITF/World Tennis tour.
Wang advances to face American 20th seed Madison Keys in the fourth round. The upcoming match will mark the second head-to-head meeting between the two players.
