26-year-old Aryna Sabalenka has announced that she will not be competing in the upcoming Olympic Games in Paris this summer. The world number three tennis player stated that she wants to prioritize her health and take some time to rest before the upcoming hard court tournaments, including the US Open where she was the runner-up last year.
Sabalenka’s decision comes after she was knocked out in the quarter-finals of the French Open by Russian teenager Mirra Andreeva, marking the first time she had not reached the semi-finals of a major tournament since the previous French Open. With the Olympics’ tennis competition scheduled for clay courts at Roland Garros in late July, followed by hard courts just three weeks later, Sabalenka felt it was too demanding on her body given her physical and health struggles in recent months.
Meanwhile, Russian men’s world number four Daniil Medvedev plans to participate in the Games as a neutral athlete despite Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February. However, athletes from Russia and Belarus who qualify for the Olympics must compete as neutrals in Paris. Sabalenka, on the other hand, will be focusing on her Wimbledon preparations and is set to play in Berlin before heading to Wimbledon, which takes place from 1-14 July.
