The 2024 China Open starts on Wednesday. It is the penultimate WTA-1000 tournament of the season, and many top players are in the draw. Aryna Sabalenka, who is fighting to end the year as world No. 1, Jessica Pegula, Wimbledon runner-up Jasmine Paolini, and Coco Gauff are among the players set to compete in Beijing. Several players have also decided not to play in the tournament. We at LWOT have already reported on eight players withdrawing from the China Open. This article lists the other nine players to withdraw from the event and gives their replacements in the draw.
Nine More WTA Players Withdraw From China Open
Which Players Have Withdrawn?
Elena Rybakina was among the most notable players to withdraw from the China Open. The Kazakhstani announced she was skipping the entire Asian swing due to a back injury, meaning the former Wimbledon champion will also miss the Wuhan Open. She has only played one match since splitting with her longtime coach, Stefano Vukov, before the US Open.
Emma Raducanu was a second player to withdraw from the China Open. She retired from her quarterfinal at the Korea Open last week with an injury. The 2021 US Open champion announced she had sprained some ligaments in her foot, which needed additional healing time.
Elina Svitolina will also be absent from the tournament in Beijing after ending her season early. She underwent foot surgery for an issue that has been troubling her throughout the year and hopes to be fit in time for the start of the 2025 season.
Marketa Vondrousova’s ongoing shoulder injury meant she was another player who had to withdraw from the China Open. She had surgery for that issue after withdrawing from the US Open. It is unclear when last year’s Wimbledon Champion will return to the court.
The other players who withdrew were 2017 US Open winner Sloane Stephens, Caroline Garcia, 2018 Australian Open champion Caroline Wozniacki, Zhu Lin, and Marie Bouzkova.
Who Replaces Those Nine Players in the Draw?
Four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka takes Rybakina’s place in the China Open draw. She may have received a wild card anyway, but that is no longer necessary. It has been a challenging year for the former world No. 1, but she could find inspiration in the fast conditions in Beijing, which should suit her game.
Kamilla Rakhimova enters the draw as a lucky loser, benefiting from Raducanu’s decision to withdraw. She was the No. 1 seed in the qualifying stage but lost narrowly to Kimberly Birrell. However, the Russian has been given a second chance and will hope to take advantage.
Anna Blinkova replaces Elina Svitolina at the China Open. Her most notable moment this season was beating Rybakina at this year’s Australian Open after one of the most incredible tiebreaks ever. However, she has struggled for consistency since then.
Vondrousova’s withdrawal gives Erika Andreeva an opportunity. The older sister of Mirra Andreeva is also a very talented young player. If she finds her best tennis, the 20-year-old can trouble most players in the draw.
Lesia Tsurenko, Wang Yafan, Cristina Bucsa, Jana Fett, and Emina Bektas were the other players to enter the draw.
Main Photo Credit: Mike Frey-USA TODAY Sports
