Paula Badosa will not be competing at the Olympic Games next month and has opened up on the reason behind her decision to skip the event.
The 2024 Paris Olympics will commence in late July, with the tennis tournaments slated to run from July 27th to August 4th. A total of 64 players will compete in singles, and Badosa was expected to be one of them in the women’s tournament.
But the 26-year-old’s name was missing from Spain’s squad, which was announced by their team captain, Anabel Medina Garrigues, during a press conference on Wednesday.
Initially, it was reported that Badosa chose to exercise her special ranking as an entrant for the Wimbledon Championships and the US Open in the second half of the season. She did not qualify for the Olympics based on her current ranking and, therefore, was at liberty to use her special ranking.
But because that privilege is limited to a maximum of eight tournaments if a WTA player’s absence because of injury lasts between six months and one year, in Badosa’s case, she was running out and had two options to choose from three.
“Hello everyone, due to my current situation with my injury, unfortunately I will not be able to go to the Olympics, something that I was really looking forward to. It has been a very difficult decision for me, as it is very complicated for me to have to give up playing for my country.”
“Due to the calendar and changes in surface, my back cannot handle that demand. I wish my professional situation were different, but since this injury, I have to take my career in a different direction, and give up very difficult things for me. And I have no choice but to accept it.”
Medina Garrigues, who also serves as the country’s Billie Jean King Cup captain, listed Sara Sorribes Tromo and Cristina Bucsa as Spain’s two representatives in the women’s singles tournament.
