Aryna Sabalenka makes a drastic season decision: "I have to sacrifice something"

Aryna Sabalenka has officially announced she will be missing the Paris Olympics as the Belarussian opts to focus on her health, according to Mundo Deportivo.

Sabalenka struggled at the recent French Open, losing in the quarter-final to teenager Mirra Andreeva, making this the first time she has reached a Grand Slam semi-final since the 2022 edition of the French Open, per Mundo Deportivo.

The Olympic tennis competition is planned to take place at the Roland Garros facility, with Sabalenka becoming the most recent big-name player to reject a chance at an Olympic medal.

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Sabalenka told reporters her schedule was already too busy due to WTA mandatory tournaments, telling reporters, “I have to sacrifice something and unfortunately, I have to sacrifice the Olympics.”

Sabalenka continued, “I think it’s too much for the scheduling and it’s just too much and I made [the] decision to take care of my health,” per The Daily Express.

The two-time Grand Slam winner also told reporters that due to her recent struggles, she needs to, “take care of my health.”

The Olympic tennis competition is planned to take place at the Roland Garros facility, with Sabalenka becoming the most recent big-name player to reject a chance at an Olympic medal.

The Olympics comes close after the end of the grass season and just before the American-based hard court season begins, meaning players will be forced to rotate through different surfaces more quickly than usual, which could lead to injury.

According to The Daily Express, the tennis season is only getting longer, with tournaments being added to the schedule, and existing events being extended. This forces players to play more regularly than they would like, and with this being an Olympic year, there will be no chance to have a mid-year break.

Sabalenka is not the first high-profile women’s player to snub the Olympics, with Great Britain’s Emma Raducanu opting out as well, many to the chagrin of the UK press!

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