Former Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova has pulled out of the Olympic Games less than a week before the tournament starts due to injury.
Vondrousova, who won a silver medal in the Tokyo Games three years ago, has been forced to miss the event due to a hand injury. The Czech was set to return to action for the first time since Wimbledon, where she suffered a shock first round defeat to Spain’s Jessica Bouzas Maneiro. Last month she also suffered a separate injury scare after slipping on the grass at the Berlin Open.
“I am very sorry, but for health reasons I am not participating in this year’s Olympic Games in Paris,” Vondrousa wrote in Czech on Instagram.
“I was hoping until the last moment that it could go at least in doubles, but problems with my hand won’t let me on the court.
The 25-year-old hopes to recover in time for the North American hardcourt swing which ends with the US Open. She is currently ranked 18th in the world and is in danger of dropping out of the top 20 for the first time since July 2023.
“I am concentrating now on being well at the US Open, I will keep my fingers crossed for all the Czech representatives in France from a distance.” Vondrousova outlined.
Following the withdrawal, Katerina Siniakova has been given a place in the singles draw. Siniakova is better known for her doubles success, winning nine major titles, including this year’s French Open and Wimbledon.
Linda Noskova has been brought in to fill the vacant double spot where she will be playing alongside Karolina Muchova.
The draw for the Olympic Tennis event will take place on Thursday, July 25th at 10am UK time. The first round of matches is scheduled to start on Saturday 27 July through to the finals on Sunday 4 August. This year’s tournament is being held at Roland Garros which is the venue of the French Open.
List of seeds for the Olympic singles tournament (as of 22/07/2024)
WOMEN
1 – Swiatek POL
2 – Gauff USA
3 – Rybakina KAZ
4 – Paolini ITA
5 – Pegula USA
6 – Qinwen CHN
7 – Sakkari GRE
8- Collins USA
9 – Krejcikova CZE
10 – Ostapenko LAT
11 – Navarro USA
12 – Kostyuk UKR
13 – Vekic CRO
14 – Haddad Maia BRA
15 – Shnaider AIN*
16 – Fernandez CAN
MEN
1 – Sinner ITA
2 – Djokovic SRB
3 – Alcaraz ESP
4 – Zverev GER
5 – Medvedev AIN*
6 – De Minaur AUS
7 – Hurkacz POL
8 – Ruud NOR
9 – Fritz USA
10 – Tsitsipas GRE
11 – Paul USA
12 – Humbert FRA
13 – Rune NOR
14 – Musetti ITA
15 – Baez ARG
16 – Auger-Aliassime CAN
*Russian and Belarussian athletes at the 2024 Olympics are referred to as Individual Neutral Athletes (INA) due to the suspension of those two countries due to the war in Ukraine. They are only allowed to compete as long as they don’t show any symbols of their home countries and have shown no support for the war.
