Raonic’s decision to pull out prompted Tennis Canada to say it respected his decision and that it will seek to nominate 43-year-old Daniel Nestor to partner Vasek Pospisil in the men’s doubles. PHOTO: AFP
Raonic, the world number seven from Canada who was defeated by Andy Murray in Sunday’s Wimbledon final, said he had taken the decision “with a heavy heart”.
Halep, the 2014 French Open runner-up, said she too was concerned over the Zika virus and did not want to damage her hopes of having a family when she retires from playing.
No Pakistani qualifies for Rio 2016 Olympics
“It is with a heavy heart that I am announcing my withdrawal from participation in the Rio 2016 Olympic Games,” the 25-year-old Raonic announced on his Facebook page. “This was a difficult, personal choice and I do not wish for it to impact the decision of any other athlete heading to the Games.”
John Isner of the US, Austria’s Dominic Thiem, Australian duo Bernard Tomic and Nick Kyrgios as well as Spanish veteran Feliciano Lopez have all opted, for various reasons, not to take part in the Olympics.
Italy’s former French Open champion Francesca Schiavone has turned down the opportunity while former world number ones Maria Sharapova and Victoria Azarenka will also be missing.
Davis Cup hit by star pullouts, Nadal Rio appeal
Sharapova is serving a doping suspension, while Azarenka announced Friday that she is pregnant and won’t compete again in 2016.
Eccentric Latvian player Ernests Gulbis described the Rio event as “tennis tourism” as the Olympics do not offer either prize money or ranking points.
Williams sisters lead US squad for Rio
World number one Serena Williams, a double Olympic champion in 2012, her sister Venus and the Bryan brothers lead the US tennis team named on Friday for the 2016 Rio Games.
Serena, who earned her 22nd grand slam title at Wimbledon, will defend the singles and doubles titles she captured in London. In doubles, she and Venus will be trying to win gold for the fourth time, after triumphs in 2000, 2008 and 2012.
Venus, who won Olympic singles gold in 2000, Madison Keys and Sloane Stephens will all compete in singles while Bethanie Mattek-Sands and CoCo Vandeweghe will form the second women’s doubles team for the US.
The US men’s team includes Steve Johnson, Jack Sock, Denis Kudla and Brian Baker in singles, with Sock and Johnson also to team up in doubles.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 17th, 2016.
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