Stan Wawrinka has become the fifth top 10 player to miss the Olympic Games after withdrawing from the competition due to a back injury.
The two-time Grand Slam champion was scheduled to play in his third consecutive Olympic Games and was seeded third in the event. Wawrinka’s Rio pullout in the latest blow to Swiss tennis after the withdrawals of Roger Federer (knee injury) and Belinda Bencic (ongoing recovery from a wrist injury) last week.
“I’m very sad because after Beijing and London I would have liked to experience my third Olympic Games in Brazil; unfortunately that will now not be possible,” Wawrinka said in a statement published on swisstennis.ch.
It is understood that the 31-year-old first started to feel pain in his back during the Toronto Masters, where he lost in the semifinals to Japan’s Kei Nishikori. According to the statement, Wawrinka has been advised by a doctor to ““reduce his physical activity for an undetermined period.”
Wawrinka’s statement has also left some unanswered questions. It did not reveal what his exact injury was or how long he will be resting from the tour. Shortly after his semifinal loss at the Rogers Cup, the world No.4 flew home to Geneva for the medical consultation, where he will now be resting.
Originally Switzerland planned to send six players to the Olympic Games, however, that number has now been dramatically reduced to two following the trio of withdrawals (Viktorija Golubic is also out due to losing her doubles partner). Carrying the hopes of the nation will be Timea Bacsinszky and Martina Hingis.
As a result of Stan Wawrinka’s withdrawal, world No.32 Benoit Paire will now be seeded at 16th.
Men’s Singles tournament will have
5 of top 10
11 of top 20
14 of top 30#32 Benoit Paire now seeded.
— José Morgado (@josemorgado) 2 August 2016
The current status of the Men’s top 10 in the Rio Olympics
- Novak Djokovic SRB – participating
- Andy Murray GBR – participating
- Roger Federer SWI – withdrew due to injury on 26/7/16
- Stan Wawrinka SWI – withdrew in 2/8/16 due to a back injury
- Rafael Nadal ESP – participating, but yet to confirm which event.
- Kei Nishikori JPA – participating
- Milos Raonic CAN – withdrew due to Zika virus concerns
- Tomas Berdych CZE – withdrew due to Zika virus concerns
- Jo-Wilfried Tsonga FRA – participating
- Dominic Thiem AUT – opted not to compete
