The world number one regretfully will miss this summer’s Olympic Games after listening to doctors’ orders advising him against travelling for the quadrennial event with tonsillitis, following reports in Italian media suggesting he’d travel later in the week before round one of singles begins on clay this weekend.
Olympics: Sinner, Rune both withdraw
- Sinner, who was struggling physically during a deciding set defeat by Daniil Medvedev in the Wimbledon quarter-finals earlier this month, was originally expected to fly to Paris on Thursday
- News of his withdrawal means the route is open for a Djokovic-Alcaraz gold medal final between top two seeds on clay, as proved the case at SW19 for the second consecutive year
- Former world no. 4 and 21-year-old Danish talent Holger Rune has also withdrawn, says he’s been nursing a wrist issue since the clay season
AUSTRALIAN Open champion Jannik Sinner will regretfully sit out the Olympic Games in Paris this summer, having struggled his way through a recurring hip issue and now tonsillitis diagnosis he’s been battling in recent days.
In his native Italian, he wrote: “Missing the Olympics is a big disappointment, given that it was one of my main goals this season. I couldn’t wait to have the honour of representing my country in this extremely important event.”
Sinner will be replaced on the Italy team by 207th-ranked Andrea Vavassori in singles and first-time Wimbledon semifinalist Lorenzo Musetti will now be joined by Luciano Darderi in doubles play.
His influential role in their Davis Cup triumph to cap a memorable 2023 meant Italy were serious contenders to medal with the world no. 1 spearheading the charge on two fronts. Now, it’s much weakened and others will fancy their chances.
The 22-year-old, who seized the world no. 1 spot after Novak Djokovic’s injury-enforced withdrawal, reached the French Open semifinals before losing in five sets to eventual champion Carlos Alcaraz.
He returned on grass 11 days later, won the Halle title before reaching the last-eight in south London, where physical problems were at the forefront of a topsy-turvy clash against Daniil Medvedev eventually settled in five sets.
Holger Rune, who underwhelmed in a fourth-round defeat by Djokovic at SW19 earlier this month, has also withdrawn from contention citing longstanding pain in his wrist dating back to clay court play and his return timeline is unclear.
Picture source: Getty Images
Mo and Sports 