Defending champion Elena Rybakina withdraws from Indian Wells due to illness

There will be no back-to-back women's champion at the BNP Paribas Open: 2023 champion Elena Rybakina, the No. 4 seed, withdrew from the tournament Friday hours ahead of the first match of her title defense due to illness.

World No.4 Rybakina entered the tournament as the tour's leader in wins this year with 17, with tournament victories in Adelaide and Abu Dhabi as well as a runner-up finish in Doha to Iga Swiatek. Rybakina was previously slated to play the Eisenhower Cup mixed doubles exhibition on the eve of the tournament Tuesday, but withdrew from that too and was replaced by Maria Sakkari.

As the No. 10 seed 12 months ago, Rybakina beat Aryna Sabalenka in last year's final 7-6(11), 6-4 to win a WTA 1000 event for the first time. In the semifinals, she toppled world No. 1 Iga Swiatek, 6-2, 6-2.

Rybakina said her withdrawal came with "great sadness," as "those close to me know how much this tournament means to me and how much I wanted to come back and defend my title."

"It's really unfortunate, especitally when it's a returning champ ... and that's a massive void in the draw," Prakash Amritraj added, in the aftermath of the news breaking on Tennis Channel. "It's a massive opportunity for players in her section."

The first of those comes for a pair of lucky losers: Rybakina was slated to face Argentina's Nadia Podoroska, who herself earned a second chance in the main draw when Paula Badosa withdrew on Monday. Instead, 2020 Roland Garros semifinalist Podoroska will face American Kayla Day, a California native, who will be making her third appearance in the main draw. Six years ago at age 17, Day reached the third round in her tournament debut.

Rybakina and Podoroska were expected to close out Friday's slate of play on Stadium 1; instead, the all-American second round between Madison Keys and Hailey Baptiste will be moved to Stadium 1 and be played not before 8:00 p.m. local time, while Day and Podoroska will play their match inside Stadium 3.