World No 3 Aryna Sabalenka has also decided to skip the Games to prioritise her health
Tunisian tennis star Ons Jabeur announced on Monday night that she has withdrawn from the Paris Olympic Games on the advice of her medical team.
Jabeur, the world No 10, has struggled with a recurring knee injury over the past two years, and she said she has concerns over how the change of surface would impact her fitness.
Jabeur is currently competing on grass in the lead-up to Wimbledon, where she reached the past two finals, before the tour returns to the North American hard courts. In between, the Olympic tennis event will be contested on the Roland Garros clay courts.
“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. Unfortunately, I will not be able to compete in the 2024 Paris Olympics,” Jabeur wrote in a statement posted on social media.
“I have always loved representing my country in any competition. However, I must listen to my body and follow my medical team’s advice. Wishing my teammates the best in the Games, and I will be their biggest supporter.”
A fully-fit Jabeur would have been among the leading contenders to win a medal in Paris. The Tunisian’s biggest title came on the clay courts of the Madrid Open in 2022, while she has reached successive quarter-finals at Roland Garros, despite fitness concerns.
The former world No 2 has endured a largely difficult year due to her fitness but showed plenty of promising signs of a return to form at the French Open, where she dominated US Open champion Coco Gauff at the start of their quarter-final only to run out of steam.
Jabeur’s withdrawal came on the same day Aryna Sabalenka announced that she would also skip the Olympics to prioritise her health.
The two-time Australian Open champion reached the Roland Garros semi-finals earlier this month but physically struggled in her defeat to Mirra Andreeva. After a short rest period, Sabalenka returns to action on Wednesday at the Berlin Open as she makes the transition to grass and builds up to Wimbledon.
“I prefer to have a little rest to make sure physically and health-wise I’m ready for the hard courts,” said world No 3 Sabalenka, who reached the US Open final last year.
“Especially with all the struggles I’ve been struggling with the last months, I feel I have to take care of my health. It’s too much for the scheduling and I made the decision to take care of my health.”
World No 1 Iga Swiatek will be the overwhelming favourite to win singles gold at the Paris Olympics. Poland’s Swiatek clinched her third successive French Open title at the same venue just 10 days ago.
