Wimbledon runner-up Milos Raonic and women’s world number five Simona Halep dealt the Olympics tennis tournament a double body blow when they pulled out of Rio, citing health fears over the Zika virus.
Raonic, the world number seven from Canada who was defeated by Andy Murray in Sunday’s Wimbledon final, said he has 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.
Tennis Canada said it respected Raonic’s decision and that it will seek to nominate 43-year-old Daniel Nestor to partner Vasek Pospisil in the men’s doubles.
Halep, 24, also took to Facebook to announce her withdrawal, just hours after the International Tennis Federation (ITF) had published its final list of confirmed entries for the Olympics which get underway in Rio on August 5.
I regret to announce that I have decided I will not compete in the Olympic Games. The reason for my decision is the concern regarding the danger posed by the Zika virus. After several talks with doctors and my family, I concluded that the risks are too high for my career and for my health, especially as a woman. Family is very important for me and I can’t risk not being able to have one of my own after my career in tennis is over.Simona Halep
John Isner of the United States, Austria’s Dominic Thiem, Australian duo Bernard Tomic and Nick Kyrgios as well as Spanish veteran Feliciano Lopez have all opted out of the 2016 Olympics for various reasons.
And the Eccentric Latvian player Ernests Gulbis described the Rio event as tennis tourism as the Olympics do not offer either prize money or ranking points.
(With inputs from PTI)
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