Dayana Yastremska has withdrawn from the Cincinnati tournament just hours before her scheduled match against world number two Coco Gauff. The 25-year-old Ukrainian tennis player, currently ranked 31st in the WTA standings, made the difficult decision to pull out of the competition due to serious health concerns.
"I've been taking strong antibiotics for the last few days which caused severe intoxication. I considered not playing my previous match, but hoped my condition would improve. However, during physical activity my pulse rises and I experience extreme weakness," Yastremska explained.
The Ukrainian athlete experienced alarming heart palpitations during her previous match against Tomova. After consultation with her medical team, they collectively decided not to risk her health by continuing in the tournament.
Yastremska, Ukraine's third-ranked tennis player, isn't completely abandoning her upcoming plans. "I'll take a few days off from training and then begin preparations for the US Open," she added. The US Open is set to begin on August 24.
Interestingly, this marks the second withdrawal for Ukrainian tennis at the Cincinnati WTA 1000 event. Marta Kostyuk, Ukraine's second-ranked player, also pulled out of the tournament before her third-round match against Polish star Iga Swiatek due to a wrist injury sustained earlier in Canada.
Kostyuk's wrist troubles began on August 5 during the Montreal tournament, where she couldn't complete her match against Elena Rybakina. After losing the first set 1:6 and taking a medical timeout, she decided to retire from the match—her seventh consecutive defeat.
With both Ukrainian stars facing health setbacks, will they recover in time for the upcoming Grand Slam in New York?
