Tennis players Aryna Sabalenka and Ons Jabeur announce their absence from the Paris Olympics.
Top 3 Tennis Star, Aryna Sabalenka, Pulls Out of Olympics
Speaking to reporters in Berlin at the Ecotrans Ladies Open, Sabalenka revealed her decision to skip the upcoming Olympics. She stated her participation in WTA tournaments and her health concerns as the main reasons.
Sabalenka, a Belarusian, encountered a stomach ailment during her loss to Mirra Andreeva in the French Open quarterfinals on June 5, marking her first defeat before the semifinals at a major since 2022. The Olympics in 2024 will be held on the same clay court as Roland Garros, where tennis will be contested.
Explaining her decision, Sabalenka mentioned her health struggles from the previous month and the challenging scheduling. "It's too much," she said. "I made the decision to take care of my health."
If Sabalenka had chosen to participate, she would have entered as an Individual Neutral Athlete, subject to passing an eligibility check. Given the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Belarusian and Russian athletes are barred from competing under their own flags.
Currently the No. 2 seed for the Berlin grass-court tournament, Sabalenka will participate this week as she gears up for Wimbledon. This marks her return after the French Open.
Another top-10 player, Ons Jabeur, also announced her withdrawal from the Games, citing health risks due to the abrupt surface change. The Tunisian has been battling a recurring knee injury.
After the end of the clay court season at the French Open, players will switch to playing on grass, a faster and often slippery surface compared to clay. The WTA grass court season concludes at Wimbledon, but the majority of contests throughout the rest of the year are usually held on hard courts. With the Olympics scheduled at Roland-Garros, the sudden switch back to the physically demanding clay is challenging.
Jabeur shared her sentiments on a platform known as X (formerly Twitter), stating, "After consulting with my medical team regarding attending the Olympics in Paris, we have decided that the quick change of surface and the body’s adaptation required would put my knee at risk and jeopardize the rest of my season." She continued, "Unfortunately, I will not be able to participate in the 2024 Paris Olympics."
Jabeur emphasized her love for competing for her country, but felt it necessary to follow the advice of her medical team.
Joining Sabalenka and Jabeur in opting out of the Olympics is Britain's Emma Raducanu. As a former grand slam winner, Raducanu was offered a wild card spot, granting her automatic entry despite her current ranking of No. 165. However, she declined, stating it wasn't the "right time" for her this year.
Explaining her decision, Raducanu expressed concerns about the surface change and the potential risks at this point in her career. She had previously dropped out of French Open qualifying to work on her fitness. However, her focused approach towards the grass and hard court portions of the season seemed to yield results, as Raducanu reached the semifinals at the Rothesay Open, a Wimbledon warm-up event, last week.
