World No. 1 Elena Rybakina withdrew from the 2026 FAGE WTA Finals at Indian Wells because of a viral illness, the WTA reported on Nov. 7, 2026. Marta Kostyuk was set to take Rybakina's place in Group 1, with planned round-robin matches against Linda Noskova, Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula.

In a statement cited by the WTA, Rybakina said she was sad to withdraw and that her body was not physically ready to compete. The defending champion, who entered as the season's first singles qualifier after winning the US Open, said she intended to rest, recover at home and prepare for the 2027 season. She closed the 2026 tour with a 54-14 record and four titles: the Australian Open, Stuttgart, the US Open and Ningbo. The WTA said she had already secured the year-end No. 1 singles ranking.