World No. 1 Jannik Sinner pulls out of Paris Games due to tonsillitis

PARIS – The men’s singles competition of Olympic tennis will take place without world No. 1 Jannik Sinner, who announced on July 24 that he has withdrawn from the Paris Games due to tonsillitis.

“I am saddened to inform you that unfortunately I will not be able to participate in the Paris Olympic Games,” the Italian wrote in a post on X. “After a good week of clay training I started to feel unwell. I spent a couple of days resting and during a visit the doctor found tonsillitis and strongly advised me against playing.”

The 22-year-old, who reached the Wimbledon quarter-finals where he lost to Daniil Medvedev earlier in July, added that “competing at the Olympic Games was one of my main goals for this season”, but his condition worsened.

“After seeing my doctors on Tuesday and waiting an extra day to give myself some more time to see if my condition would improve, things unfortunately got worse,” said the Australian Open champion, who reached the French Open semi-finals at Roland Garros, where the Olympic tennis competition will be held from July 27.

Sinner was also due to play in the men’s doubles alongside Lorenzo Musetti. The Italian’s withdrawal means world No. 2 and 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic will be the top seed in the men’s singles. The Olympic draw will be made on July 25.

Earlier, Tokyo 2020 silver medallist Marketa Vondrousova of the Czech Republic had also pulled out of the Paris Games due to a hand injury, with Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz withdrawing after failing to recover from a knee injury that he suffered during Wimbledon.

Meanwhile, US Open champion Coco Gauff will be the female flagbearer for the United States at the Paris Olympics opening ceremony, joining four-time National Basketball Association champion LeBron James.

The 20-year-old Gauff will be the youngest US flagbearer in history and first American tennis player to be awarded the honour, three years after she was forced to miss the Tokyo Olympics when she tested positive for Covid-19.

“I never thought in a million years I would have the honour of carrying the American flag for Team USA in the opening ceremony,” Gauff said in a statement. “I could not be more proud to lead my teammates with LeBron as we showcase our dedication and passion on the biggest stage there is.”

Gauff and James earned their selections through a vote of their fellow US athletes, the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) said.

“To be nominated by your teammates for this honour speaks volumes about the way in which Coco approaches her sport and her role as a member of Team USA,” USOPC’s chief executive officer Sarah Hirshland said.

World No. 2 Gauff exploded onto the international stage five years ago when she beat her idol, Venus Williams, in a dream run to the Wimbledon fourth round when she was just 15 years old.

She clinched her maiden major title at the US Open in 2023.

Gauff is expected to compete in both the singles and doubles on the clay courts at Roland Garros. REUTERS