World No. 3 Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus said she is skipping the Paris Olympics to “take care of my health.”
Sabalenka, 26, lost to Russian teen Mirra Andreeva in the French Open quarterfinals earlier this month.
The Summer Games take place on the same clay courts at Roland Garros from July 27 to Aug. 4.
Sabalenka said she wants to be healthy for the hard-court season, with the U.S. Open starting on Aug. 26.
The two-time Australian Open champion (2023, 2024) lost to Coco Gauff in the U.S. Open final last year.
“I prefer to have a little rest to make sure physically and health-wise I’m ready for the hard courts,” Sabalenka said, per the BBC.
“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.”
Sabalenka lost to Croatia’s Donna Vekic in the second round at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.
Athletes from Belarus and Russia who qualify for the Olympics can only compete as neutrals in Paris due to the ongoing invasion and war in Ukraine.
–Field Level Media
