By Richard Pagliaro | @TennisNow | Thursday, July 25, 2024
Photo credit: Rob Newell/CameraSport
The Olympic experience is over for Elena Rybakina.
World No. 4 Rybakina officially withdrew from the Paris Olympic Games due to a bout with acute bronchitis, she announced today.
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The 2022 Wimbledon winner Rybakina reached the Wimbledon semifinals this month and built a one-set lead before bowing to eventual-champion Barbora Krejcikova in three sets.
The 25-year-old Rybakina's withdrawal means Frenchwoman Caroline Garcia is now bumped up to No. 17 seed in the Olympic women's draw.
"It is difficult for me to announce this, but unfortunately I will not be able to participate in the Paris Olympics," Rybakina posted on social media. "After Wimbledon, I contracted acute bronchitis, and despite trying to return to training, my body has yet to recover.
"The doctors have strictly forbidden me from going to court. I’m sorry that I cannot live up to your hopes and represent our national team at the Paris Olympics. I was so close to getting the medal in Tokyo and preparing carefully for the Paris Games to win gold for Kazakhstan. Unfortunately, the illness prevented these plans."
Former French Open doubles champion Garcia, who was initially drawn to play No. 6-seeded Qinwen Zheng, will now play Romanian Jaqueline Cristian in round one.