World number one Jannik Sinner has withdrawn from the Paris Olympics due to tonsillitis.
The Italian tennis star faced health issues during his Wimbledon quarter-final loss to Daniil Medvedev earlier this month. Sinner was considered a top contender for the gold medal on the Paris clay, having reached the French Open semi-finals and clinched his first major title at the Australian Open in January.
“After a good week of clay training I started to feel unwell,” the 22-year-old posted on X. “I spent a couple of days resting and during a visit the doctor found tonsillitis and strongly advised me against playing. Missing the Games is a huge disappointment as it was one of my main goals for this season.”
The tennis tournament is scheduled to take place from 27 July to 4 August. Sinner was initially set to compete in both singles and doubles at Roland Garros. His withdrawal means that Novak Djokovic will be the top seed in the singles draw, which will be announced on Thursday.
Several other players will also miss the Paris Games due to illness or injury. Denmark’s Holger Rune, ranked 16th in the world, has announced his withdrawal due to wrist pain. “I am really sorry that I will be unable to play the Olympics. It’s something I’ve been looking forward to playing and being a part of,” Rune said on X.
Marketa Vondrousova, the silver medallist from Tokyo three years ago, withdrew on Tuesday because of a hand injury. Polish world number seven Hubert Hurkacz also pulled out. Notable absentees include Britain’s Emma Raducanu, world number three Aryna Sabalenka, and two-time Wimbledon runner-up Ons Jabeur.
Despite these withdrawals, Novak Djokovic, Wimbledon champion Carlos Alcaraz, and US Open winner Coco Gauff are expected to participate. The Olympics take place just 13 days after Wimbledon and conclude three weeks before the US Open.
The Olympic tennis competition features men’s and women’s singles, doubles, and mixed doubles events. Andy Murray will compete for Great Britain as he nears the end of his playing career, alongside Dan Evans, Jack Draper, and Cameron Norrie in singles. Murray and Evans will team up for the doubles, while Joe Salisbury and Neal Skupski are strong medal contenders in the same event.
Katie Boulter will represent Britain in the women’s singles and will play doubles with Heather Watson. Watson and Salisbury will also compete in the mixed doubles.
