Injury forces Aryna Sabalenka out of Stuttgart as Elena Rybakina takes top seed

The world No 1 had been set to compete as the top seed at the Stuttgart tournament, which would have marked her first appearance since completing the Sunshine Double with titles at Indian Wells Open and Miami Open in March.

Sabalenka has previously reached four finals in Stuttgart, finishing runner-up in 2024 to Jelena Ostapenko, as well as in 2022 and 2023 to Iga Swiatek, and in 2021 to Ashleigh Barty.

"Hi Stuttgart. I'm very sad to say that I won't be able to play the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix this year," the reigning US Open champion wrote on her Instagram Story.

"I always love coming back to Stuttgart. The atmosphere, the fans, and the support I feel there are so special to me. And of course, I was really hoping to have another chance to fight for that Porsche.

"Unfortunately, I suffered an injury after Miami, and even though I tried everything to recover in time, I'm not ready to compete. I'm really sorry to miss this amazing tournament. Wishing everyone a great week in Stuttgart, and I hope to see you all again very soon."

Sabalenka has been replaced in the main draw by Magdalena Frech.

The 27-year-old will drop 325 ranking points from her runner-up finish last year, but she is expected to remain at the top of the WTA Rankings, holding a lead of nearly 2,000 points following her recent titles in Indian Wells and Miami.

Her next scheduled appearance is likely to be at the Madrid Open.

Following her withdrawal, Elena Rybakina moves into the top seed position, while Coco Gauff leads the bottom half of the draw. Swiatek and Elina Svitolina are seeded third and fourth respectively.

Sabalenka is the third player to withdraw from the tournament. Anna Kalinskaya withdrew earlier and was replaced by Emma Navarro, while Qinwen Zheng also pulled out, allowing Alex Eala to enter the draw.

READ MORE: Gerda Steyn targets historic seventh Two Oceans crown