Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur and Belarusian’s Aryna Sabalenka have announced they will not participate in the upcoming Olympic Games in Paris to prioritize their health.
World number three, Sabalenka successfully defended her Australian Open title in January but was defeated by Russian teenager, Mirra Andreeva in the French Open quarter-finals this month. This marked the first time the 26-year-old Belarusian had exited a major tournament before the semi-finals since the 2022 French Open.
Jabeur, currently ranked world number 10, has been dealing with a recurring knee injury for the past two years. The 29-year-old Tunisian expressed concerns about playing on grass and hard courts around the time of the Olympics. The tennis competition at the Games will be held on the clay courts of Roland Garros from July 27 to August 4, with the US Open beginning just 22 days later.
Jabeur, who also lost in the French Open quarter-finals, shared on X that she and her team decided the quick surface change and the body’s required adaptation would jeopardize her knee and the rest of her season. Sabalenka, runner-up at last year’s US Open, stated: “I prefer to have a little rest to ensure I am physically and health-wise ready for the hard courts. Given the struggles I’ve faced in recent months, I need to take care of my health. The scheduling is too demanding, and I made the decision to prioritize my well-being.”
Athletes from Russia and Belarus who qualify for the Olympics can only compete as neutrals due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Russian men’s world number four, Daniil Medvedev plans to compete at the Olympics as a neutral athlete.
Sabalenka is scheduled to play in Berlin as part of her preparations for Wimbledon, where she reached the semi-finals last year. Wimbledon will take place from July 1-14.
