Simona Halep has become the latest big-name tennis player to withdraw from the Tokyo Olympics after the Romanian said she would not recover from a calf injury in time; the world No 3 also pulled out of Wimbledon last week; three-time Grand Slam winner Stan Wawrinka also out
Tuesday 20 July 2021 11:15, UK
Simona Halep has become the latest high-profile player to withdraw from the Olympics as she continues to battle a calf injury.
The Romanian was hoping to go for gold in Tokyo next month but will not recover in time, having also missed the French Open and Wimbledon because of the problem.
She follows Serena Williams, Rafael Nadal and Dominic Thiem in pulling out of the rearranged Games.
The two-time Grand Slam champion said on Twitter: "Nothing brings me more pride than representing Romania, but sadly the recovery from my calf injury requires more time and I have made the decision to withdraw from the Olympic Games this summer.
"After the disappointment of missing the French Open and Wimbledon, having to skip the Olympics is incredibly tough to digest, but I am determined to come back stronger.
"I will be watching and cheering on the Romanian athletes from home."
Halep suffered an opening-round loss at the London Olympics in 2012 and skipped the 2016 Rio Games due to concerns over the Zika virus.
Former world No 3 Wawrinka, 36, underwent an operation on his left foot earlier this year and has not played on the tour since his opening round defeat by Lloyd Harris at the Qatar Open in March.
He underwent an additional procedure on the same foot to correct a small niggle, which will rule him out of the Olympics, Wawrinka's team said in a statement.
Wawrinka, who is currently ranked 30th, won a gold medal in doubles with Roger Federer at the 2008 Beijing Games.
"His team of doctors is extremely confident that they have now resolved the issue and that he will return to full fitness in the near future," the statement added.
"He is very disappointed not to be able to play in the Games and represent Switzerland in Tokyo, but he is already working hard on his recovery and towards his goal of getting back on court as soon as possible."
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