"Elena Rybakina is a liar"; "Disrespectful" - Fans slam Kazakh for shock Pan Pacific Open withdrawal a day after securing year-end No. 1

Elena Rybakina, the top seed in the Pan Pacific Open, made a sudden withdrawal from her quarterfinal match on Friday, sending Canada's Leylah Fernandez into the last four via a walkover.

The World No. 1 cited pain in her neck as the reason for her inability to compete against the Canadian. In a statement, Rybakina disclosed she had inflammation and pain, which prevented her from playing at her best on court.

The three-time Grand Slam champion suffered a similar setback in Tokyo last year, when she pulled out ahead of her scheduled semifinal clash against Linda Nosková, citing back pain.

Fans didn't pull any punches while berating Rybakina for withdrawing in Japan for the second consecutive year and days after securing the WTA year-end No. 1 singles ranking award.

"2nd year in a row is some sort of an embarrassment," a user wrote on X.

"Bad look on her. She did it twice in a row. What a PR nightmare," a user remarked.

"She is a liar! Even the alleged injury after trailing to Swiatek 1-4 was a lie as well. She wanted to avoid a second straight loss in straights to washed Iga. She brings the injury thing when it suits her," a user stated.

"I am a big fan of Elena but this walkover, just like the last year one, is disrespectful to the Japanese fans and the tournament organizers," a user noted.

"Surely @lenarybakina won’t turn up @torayppo next year 2027, that would be a embarrassing," another user added.

Elena Rybakina labels Pan Pacific Open quarterfinal withdrawal a "difficult decision"

Amid the online criticism, Elena Rybakina gave a detailed response about her reason for withdrawing before the highly-anticipated quarterfinal encounter. While fans accused her of disrespecting the Japanese spectators, the 27-year-old thanked them for their support and vowed to return to Tokyo next year.

"Dear fans, I’m very sorry to announce that I’ve had to withdraw from my next match. Unfortunately, I’ve been experiencing inflammation and pain in my neck, which has been affecting my ability to play at my best. It’s a very difficult decision, as I love playing here and always appreciate the incredible support from the fans. I hope to be back again next year. Thank you all for your understanding and support," Elena Rybakina said (via WTA).

With the WTA year-end No. 1 singles ranking award already locked in, Elena Rybakina will now hope to recover in time to defend her crown at the WTA Finals next month.