Top seed Elena Rybakina was forced to retire from her Round of 16 match against Antonia Ružić at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships on February 18, 2026, citing nausea and tiredness. The Kazakh player, who won the first set, joined Paula Badosa on the sidelines amid a wave of withdrawals and retirements at the event. Ružić advanced to her first WTA 1000 quarterfinal as a lucky loser.
Elena Rybakina entered her Round of 16 match at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships as the top seed, with Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Świątek already absent. Facing Croatia's Antonia Ružić, Rybakina secured the opening set 7-5 in a tense battle. However, Ružić fought back to win the second set 6-4, carrying momentum into the decider.
In the third set, Ružić broke serve in the opening game, prompting Rybakina to call for the physio. During the medical timeout, Rybakina explained her condition: “[I have] nausea. I ate, but in the morning I had a heavy head, and I didn’t sleep well. So I’m going to stop.” When asked if she wanted a full assessment, she replied, “No, because I know what it is, it’s just tiredness. I don’t see the reason to continue.” The physio acknowledged, “That’s absolutely fine.”
Rybakina then approached the net to shake hands with Ružić, retiring while trailing 0-1 in the third set. Ružić, who entered the main draw as a lucky loser after losing from six match points up in qualifying to Rebecca Sramkova, expressed surprise: “I was surprised because I didn’t notice any signs that she wasn’t feeling well.” She added, “It’s obviously not the way you want to win, but I’m happy that I’m through. It’s a crazy story that I got in as a lucky loser, and now I’m at this stage, sometimes you just have to take your second chances, and I’ve been playing like I’ve got nothing to lose.”
Ružić will face Elina Svitolina in the quarterfinals on February 19. Earlier, Paula Badosa retired in her second-round match against Svitolina due to a leg problem after the first set. Rybakina had mentioned prior issues, stating before the event, “Honestly, it’s really not enough time. When I got back home, I also got a little cold, so I was not celebrating. I was literally in bed for a couple of days. Then we had to go to Doha. It’s quite a busy schedule.”
The tournament has seen multiple withdrawals, including Karolina Muchova, Qinwen Zheng, and Maria Sakkari, alongside retirements by Sakkari, Hailey Baptiste, and Jaqueline Cristian. Brad Gilbert commented, “Another retirement at Dubai this time number one ☝️ seed Ryba, Oouch this tournament 🏟️ has some seriously bad luck this week.” Tournament director Salah Tahlak has called for strict action on top-player withdrawals. Jessica Pegula will chair a 13-member panel to review the WTA calendar amid concerns over the demanding schedule.
