Olympic silver medalist Marketa Vondrousova has pulled out of the Paris 2024 Games due to a hand injury.
The 25-year-old Czech athlete made this choice following her first-round elimination while defending her Wimbledon title earlier this month.
She became the first Wimbledon ladies singles champion since Steffi Graf, who lost to Lori McNeil in 1994, to exit in the first round, after being defeated by Spain’s Jessica Bouzas Maneiro.
Vondrousova, who claimed silver at Tokyo 2020, announced on her Instagram, external that she will not participate in this summer’s Games, instead focusing on her preparation for the US Open, starting on 26 August.
“I am deeply saddened to announce that, for health reasons, I will not be competing in this year’s Olympic Games in Paris,” Vondrousova stated.
“I held out hope until the very last moment that I could at least compete in doubles, but my hand issues prevent me from taking the court.”
Vondrousova was set to be the 12th seed in Paris, but she will be replaced in singles by Katerina Siniakova and in doubles by Linda Noskova on the Czech team.
Vondrousova now joins notable absentees from the women’s event, including world number three Aryna Sabalenka, Ons Jabeur, and Emma Raducanu.
Additionally, Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz, ranked seventh in the world, has also withdrawn from the men’s competition.
The 27-year-old was unable to recover from a knee injury that led him to retire during his second-round match at Wimbledon.
“My rehabilitation is progressing very well, and I am making steady improvements. However, my team and I have concluded that I cannot compete in the Olympic Games in Paris,” Hurkacz remarked.
