Aryna Sabalenka pictured – Photo Getty Images
Aryna Sabalenka, one of the strongest tennis players on the WTA circuit, has announced her decision not to participate in the next Paris 2024 Olympics. The Belarusian, currently number 2 in the world ranking, explained the reasons behind this difficult but necessary choice.
In an interview released today, Sabalenka said: “Due to the busy schedule and mandatory WTA tournaments, I have to think about my health and physical condition first. Unfortunately, this means having to sacrifice the Olympics.”
Sabalenka’s decision comes at a time when the debate on the tennis calendar and the workload for players is more heated than ever. Many tennis players, in fact, complain about the lack of time to recover between one tournament and another, with the risk of injuries and physical problems always lurking.
For Sabalenka, who has had to deal with some physical problems in recent seasons, the choice to give up the Olympics was dictated by the need to preserve her body and focus on the most important tournaments on the circuit. A painful but thoughtful decision, which demonstrates the maturity and awareness achieved by the Belarusian tennis player.
Sabalenka’s resignation undoubtedly represents an important loss for the Paris 2024 Olympic tournament, which will have to do without one of the most anticipated and talented protagonists.
In the background there may also be political reasons given that Belarus supports Russia in the conflict in Ukraine that began in February 2022 and is still in a stalemate phase.
Francesco Paolo Villarico
