Elena Rybakina Withdraws From Olympic Tennis Matches

Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan plays a forehand return to Elina Svitolina of Ukraine during their quarterfinal match at the Wimbledon tennis championships in London on July 10, 2024. (Kirsty Wigglesworth/AP Photo)

Elena Rybakina, who entered as the third seed in the 2024 Paris Olympic women’s tennis competition, has withdrawn from the tournament because of acute bronchitis, according to the Kazakhstan Tennis Federation.

Rybakina, a 2022 Wimbledon champion, pulled out of the singles tournament and mixed doubles, where she was expected to play with partner Alexander Bublik. Caroline Garcia, of France, has taken Rybakina’s place and is the 17th seed in singles. Daria Saville, of Australia, was named the alternate.

After the Wimbledon tournament, Rybakina, 25, fell ill with a respiratory infection. She attempted to return to training, but her body had not recovered from the illness. The doctors have forbidden her from competing in the Olympic Games or even flying to Paris as a spectator.

“It is hard for me to announce this, but unfortunately, I will not be able to participate in the Olympics in Paris,” Rybakina said in a statement released by the federation on July 25. “I am very sorry that I cannot fulfill your hopes and play for our team at the Olympics in Paris. I was so close to a medal in Tokyo and carefully prepared for the Paris Games to win gold for Kazakhstan. Unfortunately, illness prevented these plans from coming true.

“I wish all Kazakh athletes good luck and success in Paris! I will be cheering for all our athletes and believe that they will be able to represent our country at the Olympics with dignity. Alga, Kazakhstan!”

The tennis events run from July 27 to Aug. 4

Rybakina was the third seed in the Olympics behind Iga Swiatek (Poland) and Coco Gauff (USA).

In mixed doubles, Rybakina and Bublik were replaced by Nadia Podoroska and Maximo Gonzalez, of Argentina, to play Gauff and Taylor Fritz.

Rybakina has been hampered by illnesses for much of the 2024 season. She withdrew from the Indian Wells, Rome, and Eastbourne tournaments for various ailments. In addition, she left the Dubai quarterfinal match and retired four games into her second-round match in Berlin.

Despite her recent bouts with illnesses, Rybakina is regarded as one of the best tennis players in the world. She reached a career-best No. 3 by the World Tennis Association in 2023, making her the first Kazakhstani player to be ranked in the world’s top 10.

Rybakina also became the first player from Kazakhstan to win a title at a major tournament when she won the Wimbledon Championships in 2022. She has won eight titles on the WTA Tour, including two WTA 1000 titles at the 2023 Indian Wells Open and the 2023 Italian Open.

Gauff, the reigning U.S. Open champion, has a solid chance to earn a medal and will join LeBron James as a flag bearer for the U.S. Olympic team at the opening ceremony on July 26. Gauff, 20, is set to make her Olympic debut at the Paris Games and will be the first tennis athlete to carry the U.S. flag as chosen by Team USA athletes.

“I never thought in a million years I would have the honor 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—at a moment where we can bring athletes and fans together from around the world.”

Gauff made the American team for the Olympic Games in Tokyo in 2020. However, she was unable to compete because she tested positive for COVID-19. This summer, Gauff is also partnering with Jessica Pegula in the women’s doubles and with Fritz in the mixed event.

Gauff is a Grand Slam title winner in singles and doubles. She won her first major championship in New York in September 2023 by outlasting Aryna Sabalenka in the singles final of the U.S. Open. Gauff earned her first Grand Slam doubles trophy at the French Open in June with Katerina Siniakova of the Czech Republic.

However, Swiatek is the heavy favorite to win the women’s gold medal in singles as the No. 1 seed. She has gone 32–1 at the Roland Garros in Paris, where the Olympic matches will be held. Swiatek has a 21-match winning streak on those courts—the fourth-longest winning streak for a woman in the Open Era. She has not lost at Roland Garros since June 9, 2021—a span of 1,143 days.

However, Swiatek’s mixed doubles partner Hubert Hurkacz was forced to withdraw from the Olympics because of a knee injury he sustained at Wimbledon.

“My rehabilitation is going very well, and I’m making continuous progress. However, my team and I have decided that I’m not able to compete at the Olympic Games in Paris,” Hurkacz posted on Instagram on July 22. “This was a very, very difficult decision because I have always dreamed of representing Poland at the Olympics, being able to win a medal for the national team, but unfortunately, my health does not allow it this year.”