Aryna Sabalenka, the winner of the Australian Open, and Ons Jabeur, the two-time Wimbledon finalist, both declared themselves ineligible for the Olympic Games in Paris on Monday.
Neither of the top ten players expressed a desire to go straight from the grass courts of Wimbledon to the clay courts of Roland Garros for the Olympic competition, only to resume the hard court season in North America a few days later.
Global No. 3 Belarusian Sabalenka expressed her preference for taking a sabbatical.
“I decided to take care of my health because it’s too much for the scheduling,” she stated while preparing for Wimbledon in Berlin.
“I would rather take a short break to ensure that I’m physically and mentally prepared for the hard courts. I’ll be well-prepared before the hard-court season begins. This seems safer to me and healthier for my body.”
Tunisia’s World No. 10 Jabeur posted on X how disappointing it was not to be able to compete at an Olympics for a fourth time.
My knee would be at risk and the remainder of my season would be jeopardized due to the rapid change in surface and the body’s necessary adaption, as determined by my medical team and myself. Jabeur penned.
“I have always enjoyed competing on behalf of my country, but I have to listen to my body and take the advice of my medical team.”
Jabeur participated in the final three