BERLIN—Australian Open tennis champion Aryna Sabalenka and two-time Wimbledon finalist Ons Jabeur on Monday ruled themselves out of the upcoming Olympic Games in Paris.
Both top-10 players said they didn’t want to switch from grass at Wimbledon back to clay at Roland Garros for the Olympic tournament and then immediately start the hard-court season in North America.
Sabalenka, the world’s third-ranked player from Belarus. said she'd rather have a break.
“It’s too much for the scheduling, and I made the decision to take care of my health,” she said in Berlin, where she’s warming up for Wimbledon.
“I prefer to have a little rest to make sure physically and health-wise I’m ready for the hard courts,“ Sabalenka said. ”I’ll have a good preparation before going to the hard-court season. I feel that this is safer and better for my body.”
Jabeur, a Tunisian who is ranked 10th in the world, wrote on X that not being able to play at a fourth consecutive Olympics was unfortunate.
“We [and my medical team] have decided that the quick change of surface and the body’s adaptation required would put my knee at risk and jeopardize the rest of my season,” Jabeur wrote.
“I have always loved representing my country in any competition,“ she continued. ”However, I must listen to my body and follow my medical team’s advice.”
Jabeur competed at the past three Olympics without winning a match.
