Marketa Vondrousova became the fourth tennis star after Aryna Sabalenka, Ons Jabeur and Emma Raducanu to withdraw from Paris Olympics 2024.
Paris: Tokyo Olympics tennis silver medallist Marketa Vondrousova and Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz have pulled out of Paris Olympics 2024 with just three days ahead of the quadrennial showpiece. While Vondrousova withdrew due to a hand injury, Hurkacz was forced to pull out his name after injuring his knee at Wimbledon earlier this month.
Vondrousova, a 25-year-old Czech player, made headlines last year by winning Wimbledon as an unseeded player. She was also the runner-up at the French Open in 2019, held at Roland Garros — the same venue for the tennis matches at the Paris Olympics. Despite her recent first-round exit at Wimbledon, making her the first woman since 1994 to lose in the opening match a year after winning the title, she remains a formidable player.
Announcing her withdrawal on social media, Vondrousova stated her focus is now on preparing for the US Open, starting in late August. She was the runner-up to Switzerland’s Belinda Bencic at the Tokyo Olympics three years ago. Currently ranked No. 18 globally and projected to be seeded No. 12 in Paris, Vondrousova’s spot on the Czech team has been filled by Katerina Siniakova in singles and Linda Noskova in doubles. Noskova will team up with 2023 French Open runner-up Karolina Muchova.
Hurkacz, who would have been the No. 7 seed at the Olympics, suffered an injury on his right knee during his second round clash against Arthur Hills on July 4, while diving to hit a shot late in the fourth set. Play was delayed for several minutes while a trainer examined and taped up Hurkacz’s knee; when action resumed, Hurkacz immediately tried to dive for another volley, then had to stop playing.
Hurkacz’s best Grand Slam showing was reaching the semifinals at Wimbledon in 2021. His victory over Roger Federer in the quarterfinals turned out to be the last match of Federer’s career. The draw for the Olympics tennis competition is scheduled for Thursday, and matches begin on Saturday.
