Garbine Muguruza, director of the Women's Tennis Finals, said that Elena Rybakina's withdrawal from the tournament on the eve of its start was disappointing, but the world number one needs time to recover from the physical stress caused by a year full of competitions.
Rybakina, the defending champion, withdrew from the tournament yesterday (Saturday), saying that she was not physically ready to compete, which paved the way for Ukrainian Marta Kostyuk to replace her among the group of eight players participating in “Indian Wells.”
The tournament organizers later announced that her infection with a viral illness was the official reason for withdrawal.
Muguruza, the former world number one who won two major tournament titles, said that she spoke with Rybakina and that the Kazakh player was unable to recover in time after suffering from physical problems late in the season.
Muguruza told Reuters: “We love Elena and we know that she was not feeling her best in Tokyo either... I spoke to her today (yesterday), and she really was not able to recover in time.”
She added: “What we want is for you to feel comfortable, take a break and recover.” "We don't want her to feel like she has to play unless she's ready."
Rybakina, who has won two Grand Slam titles this year, also withdrew from the quarter-finals in Tokyo last month due to a neck injury.
Rybakina's absence deprives the tournament of some star shine, but Muguruza said that the league system and the strength of the entries will ensure that a tournament is held at a high level.
Muguruza, who was crowned champion of the final tournament in Wadi Al-Hajara in 2021, added: “We have the best female players.”
She continued: “I know that the world number one will not be able to play, but we have a wonderful group of players, the best ever.”
She added: “Every match can be a final in one of the major tournaments. You really have to be prepared. "You cannot show any leniency."
The name Kostyuk, who is participating for the first time in the final tournament after a season full of achievements that included winning the Madrid title and rising to the top ten, was already present in “Indian Wells” as a substitute, and she was training when Rybakina withdrew.
Muguruza said the Ukrainian player, known for her signature backflip celebrations after matches, deserved this opportunity.
She added: “Marta is amazing. “I have achieved great accomplishments this year.” She continued: “We have a number of female players participating in the final tournament for the first time in this year’s edition, and this is very exciting.” “It is very difficult to qualify.”
Kostyuk has been outspoken in her stance on the Russian invasion of Ukraine and does not shake hands with Russian or Belarusian competitors. Muguruza said that the tournament will support female players in making their own decisions.
“They have the freedom to do what they feel,” she explained. We are open and support them.”
Portuguese coach Jose Mourinho, Real Madrid's coach, praised the spirit and cohesion of his players, stressing that the team is living in a positive atmosphere inside the locker room, following the victory over its host Valencia by three unanswered goals, on Saturday evening, in the Spanish Football League.
Real Madrid's official website quoted Mourinho as saying that his players have shown great progress on both the individual and collective levels, noting that the credit for their defensive cohesion goes primarily to them.
He added: “The players are responding wonderfully, both individually and as a team. There is a great development, and I also believe that our possession of the ball for long periods has reduced our need for defensive work. “When we lost the ball, our reaction was always great.”
He explained: “This team is very solidaristic, very united and has a good spirit.”
The Portuguese coach stressed that he seeks to keep his players calm and not exaggerate in celebrating victories, despite the team achieving eight consecutive victories.
He pointed out: “We should not go crazy with joy just by winning matches with a team like Real Madrid. Winning matches here should be normal. “I see a happy and calm dressing room, despite the loud and chaotic music played by the players.”
Mourinho expressed his concern about the impact of the pressure of matches on his players during the international break, explaining that they suffer great physical stress before joining their country’s national teams.
He said: “The players are in a state of severe fatigue, and they will be with their teams starting Monday, while in the coming days they need to recover from this muscle fatigue. “That is my only concern.”
Mourinho also criticized the match schedule, considering that the pressure of matches and travel during the recent period was very stressful, and called on the League to take into account his team’s circumstances.
He concluded: “I do not want to say that it is beyond human capacity; It is possible to do, but it is very difficult. After this marathon of travel and matches from Sunday to Saturday, it was too much.”
