Aryna Sabalenka explains Stuttgart Open withdrawal in social media post

She shared the update on Instagram, saying: “I’m very sad to say that I won’t be able to play the Porsche tennis Grand Prix this year.”

She added: “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.”

The world number one continued: “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 weekend out, and I hope to see you all again very soon. Love, Aryna.”

Sabalenka will be eager for a better showing this time around in 2026 but is already playing catch-up early into the season.

Aryna Sabalenka surpasses Chris Evert despite Stuttgart withdrawal

Sabalenka’s place at the top of the rankings is so secure that pulling out of tournaments like this doesn’t really affect her standing.

She’s held onto the world number one spot for over two years now, and her consistency is reflected in the rankings.

The 27-year-old currently sits on 11,205 ranking points, more than 3,000 ahead of Rybakina in second place.

Even with this recent withdrawal, she’s still hitting milestones. Sabalenka has just passed Chris Evert for consecutive weeks as world number one.

She reached her 77th week last week, moving up to 11th on the all-time list. However, Evert still has a longer streak at 113 weeks. The record stands with Steffi Graf and Serena Williams at 186 weeks each.