Paris Olympics: Why Kazakh tennis star Elena Rybakina withdraws from contest

Kazakh tennis star and third seed Elena Rybakina has withdrawn from the Olympic Games in Paris due to illness.

Rybakina announced her decision just hours after the draw took place at Roland Garros on Thursday.

“After the Wimbledon tournament, I fell ill with acute bronchitis, and despite my attempts to return to training, my body has not yet recovered. The doctors have strictly forbidden me to go to court,” Rybakina said in a statement.

“I am very sorry that I cannot fulfil 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.”

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Rybakina, who finished fourth at the Tokyo Olympics, has withdrawn from several tournaments in 2024, primarily citing illness.

France’s Caroline Garcia will take Rybakina’s place in the Paris draw, while Australia’s Daria Saville will enter the draw as an alternate.