Tennis player Emma Raducanu has decided to forgo the opportunity to represent Great Britain at the upcoming Olympics. The 21-year-old, who is currently ranked 209th in the world, is still recovering from wrist and ankle surgeries last year that have affected her rankings. Despite being offered one of two reserved spots for former Grand Slam champions by the ITF, Raducanu opted to focus on her recovery and prepare for the British grass-court swing.
The decision to skip the Olympics was supported by Iain Bates, the head of GB’s Olympic tennis team, who acknowledged the importance of the Olympics to her but respected her choice. Meanwhile, two-time gold medallist Andy Murray is set to compete in Paris, possibly in his final tournament before retirement. Other British players who have been nominated for the Olympics include Cameron Norrie, Jack Draper, Dan Evans, Katie Boulter, Heather Watson and more.
The Olympic tennis tournament is scheduled to take place at Roland Garros from July 27 to August 4 and will feature five medal events: women’s singles, men’s singles, women’s doubles, men’s doubles and mixed doubles. Murray, a veteran in the sport will be aiming to add to his collection of Olympic medals while the younger British players will be looking to make their mark on the international stage.