World number one tennis player Jannik Sinner has withdrawn from the Paris Olympics due to tonsillitis, meaning Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz will be the men’s top seeds, setting up a potential rematch for the Wimbledon final gold medal.
Sinner, 22, posted on social media that a doctor had advised him not to compete in the Summer Games. The Italian won the Australian Open in January for his first Grand Slam title and rose to No. 1 in the ATP rankings last month after reaching the semi-finals of the French Open.
ABC Sport Live blog every day on the Paris Olympic Games
The draw for the tennis tournaments will take place on Friday AEST, while matches will begin on Sunday morning.
“Missing the Olympics is a big disappointment, as it was one of my main goals this season,” Sinner wrote in Italian. “I was looking forward to the honour of representing my country at this extremely important event.”
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Sinner will be replaced in the Italian team by Andrea Vavassori, ranked 207th, in singles, and by Luciano Darderi in doubles alongside Lorenzo Musetti.
Denmark’s Holger Rune, ranked 16th, also announced his withdrawal on social media on Wednesday, saying he was suffering from wrist pain.
The Summer Games tennis competition will take place at Roland Garros, site of the annual French Open Grand Slam tournament.
Sinner reached the semi-finals of the French Open in June before losing to Alcaraz, who went on to win the championship.
Alcaraz, a 21-year-old Spaniard, then won his fourth Grand Slam trophy at Wimbledon this month by beating Djokovic.
It was the second consecutive year that Alcaraz had beaten the Serb in the final at the All England Club.
Sinner was knocked out of Wimbledon in the quarter-finals.
AP
