Tennis Star Aryna Sabalenka Prioritizes Health, Opts Out of 2024 Paris Olympics

Aryna Sabalenka, the world number three Tennis player, has announced her decision to forgo participation in the upcoming 2024 Paris Olympic Games. The 26-year-old Belarusian cited the need to prioritize her health and recovery as the primary reason behind this choice.

Sabalenka, who successfully defended her Australian Open title earlier this year, recently faced disappointment at the French Open quarter-finals, where she lost to Russian teenager Mirra Andreeva. This marked the first time since the 2022 French Open that the Belarusian star had failed to advance beyond the semi-finals of a major tournament.

“I prefer to have a little rest to make sure physically and health-wise I’m ready for the hard courts,” Sabalenka explained. “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.”

The Olympic Tennis competition is scheduled to take place on the clay courts of Roland Garros from July 27 to August 4, just 22 days before the start of the US Open, where Sabalenka was a runner-up last year. The decision to prioritize her health and focus on the hard-court season appears to be a strategic move for the rising Tennis legend.

Athletes from Russia and Belarus

Athletes from Russia and Belarus who qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics will be required to compete as neutral athletes, following the ongoing restrictions imposed after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Despite this, world number four Daniil Medvedev, a Russian male player, has expressed his intention to participate as a neutral athlete.

Sabalenka is set to compete in the upcoming Berlin tournament as part of her preparations for Wimbledon, where she reached the semi-finals last year. The prestigious Wimbledon Grand Slam is scheduled to take place from July 1 to 14.

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