(Paris) Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka, 3rd in the world, will not participate in the Paris Olympic Games “in order to preserve her health” and to better prepare for the hard court season, she declared Monday on the sidelines of the WTA 500 tournament in Berlin .
“With all the problems I’ve had over the last few months, I have to take care of my health. I prefer to take a little rest to make sure I’m physically ready for the tough stuff,” said the player.
The Olympic tournament will take place at Roland Garros from July 27 to August 4, which will require players to move from the grass of Wimbledon to the clay of Paris before tackling the North American hard-court tour which concludes at the US Open in late August and early September.
Sabalenka, 26, makes her return to the courts this week in Berlin after her defeat in the quarter-finals of Roland Garros where she was hampered by intestinal problems.
