Top tennis players Milos Raonic and Simona Halep have withdrawn from next month’s Olympic Games over concerns regarding the Zika Virus.
The Zika Virus is a disease transmitted to humans by Mosquitoes. Symptoms could include headaches, joint pain and fever, however, in 80% of cases there are no symptoms. The disease is especially threatening to pregnant women, with numerous South American countries advising women to delay their plans to have children.
Wimbledon Runner-up Raonic announced his withdrawal from the upcoming event on his Facebook account. The Canadian said in a statement that he has decided to skip the Olympics because of ‘uncertainty’ regarding the virus. Raonic is the most high profile male tennis player to withdraw due to the Zika threat.
Halep announced her withdrawal after consulting with both her family and doctors. The world No.5 said that her decision was to protect her future ambitions of having children. Women in Zika-affected countries have been advised to delay trying for babies over the fears that the Virus could cause future birth defects. She is the first female tennis player to admit that she will skip the event over Zika fears.
“I regret to announce that I have decided I will not compete in the Olympic Games taking place this summer in Rio. The reason for my decision is the concern regarding the danger posed by the Zika virus.” Halep said in a statement.
After several talks with doctors and my family, i concluded that the risks are too high for my career and for my health, especially as a woman. Family is much too important for me and I can’t risk not being able to have one of my own after my career in tennis is over.
Last Month Alexandr Dolgopolov also confirmed his withdrawal from the event due to the Zika Virus. During the Nottingham Open, he said that ‘he prefers not to risk it’ according to fakty.ua.
Tennis is not the first sport to have high profile withdrawals due to the virus. Golf has seen many high-profile male players withdraw from Rio, including Rory Mcilroy, Adam Scott, Vijay Singh and Marc Leishman.
Are the Olympic Games safe?
Regardless of the growing number of athletes skipping the Olympics, officials are confident that there are no serious health risks. The games will take place during the winter season in Rio, a time when the number of mosquitoes are at their lowest level. Uriel Kitron, an expert on mosquito-borne diseases, believes that the Olympics will be safe.
“The risk of Zika infection in Rio during the Olympics is very low,” Kitron told futurity.org.
“But if you are pregnant, or are thinking of getting pregnant right now as part of a couple, then you may want to consider even this low risk of transmission, given the potential serious complications.”
In May the World Health Organisation (WHO) rejected calls to move the games out of Rio after receiving an open letter from more than 100 scientists. They said, moving the games ‘would not significantly alter‘ the spread of the virus.
What Now?
The chances of more players withdrawing from the Olympic Games are high. Tomas Berdych recently admitted that he was unsure about playing in the event. On the other hand, many other players have pledged to play in the event.
Novak Djokovic, Serena Williams, Roger Federer, Andy Murray and Rafael Nadal have all spoken of their plans to play in the event. Speaking about the Virus, world No.1 Williams said she trusts the words of officials.
“So far I’m definitely going to go to the Olympics.” Williams said in an interview with Sky News.
“The US team has done a lot to protect the athletes and educate the athletes (about the Zika virus), which I think is really important.”
The Olympic tennis competition will start on August 5th with 172 participants taking part in five events.
