If there is one sport that has been hit the hardest by absent players in the Tokyo Summer Games, it has been Tennis. Some of the biggest names in the game like Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Serena Williams have all decided to pull out due to various reasons.
The biggest reasonmany players are skipping the Tokyo Gamesisdue to injuries, with COVID-19 related issues second. Matches are set to take place Friday July 23rd and while some of the biggest names in Tennis will not be there, there are also many big stars that can step in.
Here is a list of seventeen of the biggest Tennis stars that will miss the summer games in Tokyo! For some it may be the last time they could play in the Olympics, for others they will have to wait for four years from now.
Roger Federer
Roger Federer (Getty)
Roger Federer decided to not play in the Summer Olympics due to a knee issue suffered in Wimbledon, he announced his decision stating: “During the grass season, I unfortunately experienced a setback with my knee, and have accepted that I must withdraw from the Tokyo Olympic Games.”
Dominic Thiem
Dominic Thiem (Getty)
Dominic Thiem decided to not play the Olympic games as he aims to win his second straight US Open title later in the year. Thiem also injured his wrist which would have forced him to miss the Olympics anyways.
Juan Martin Del Potro
Juan Martin Del Potro (Getty)
Juan Martin Del Potro has been hit by the injury bug for a long time and that was the case once again as it forced the Argentine to pull out of various tournaments as he gets back to full fitness.
Matteo Berrettini
Matteo Berrettini (Getty)
Matteo Berrettini just finished being a finalist in Wimbledon, and due to a muscle strain will be forced to miss the Olympic games in Tokyo.
Nick Kyrgios
Nick Kyrgios (Getty)
Nick Kyrgios likes playing in front of crowds, the Australian did not want to participate in the games with no fans in the stands. “The thought of playing in front of empty stands just doesn’t sit right with me.”
Alex de Minaur
Alex de Minaur (Getty)
Alex de Minaur tested positive for COVID-19, and it forced him out of the Olympics altogether. The positive test came as he was heading for the games and his recuperation will force him out.
Stan Wawrinka
Stan Wawrinka (Getty)
Stan Wawrinka was forced to miss the games in Tokyo due to having foot surgery that has hindered his 2021 season.
David Goffin
David Goffin (Getty)
David Goffin is yet another player to miss the games due to an injury. This time it’s the ankle of the Belgian tennis star that will force him out, the injury was sustained in Germany last June.
Coco Gauff
Coco Gauff (Getty)
Coco Gauff was set to be a big star in these games but unfortunately, she tested positive for COVID-19 and Gauff was forced to sideline her Olympic dream until four years from now.
Simona Halep
Simona Halep (Getty)
Simona Halep suffered a calf injury in May at the Italian Open and she was not able to play in Wimbledon and the Summer Olympics. Halep was waiting to participate in her second summer games.
Serena Williams
Serena Williams (Getty)
Serena Williams may be the biggest star to miss out of the Summer Games, her reasoning was vague, she simply did not want to participate it seems: “There’s a lot of reasons that made my Olympic decision. In the past it’s been a wonderful place for me, but I really haven’t thought about it, so I’m going to keep not thinking about it.”
Monica Puig
Monica Puig (Getty)
Monica Puig was forced out of the summer games in Tokyo due to a shoulder injury she had surgery on in June.
Bianca Andreescu
Bianca Andreescu (Getty)
Bianca Andreescu pulled out of the games in Tokyo due to the ongoing pandemic. Andreescu stated that it was the right decision to sit these games out due to the COVID-19 crisis.
Johanna Konta
Johanna Konta (Getty)
Johanna Konta had to withdraw from the summer games due to testing positive for COVID-19 in June and then once again in July.
Victoria Azarenka
Victoria Azarenka (Getty)
Victoria Azarenka packed it all in and decided not to play in the Tokyo games, stating that the challenges brought by the COVID-19 forced her out of the games.
Angelique Kerber
Angelique Kerber (Getty)
Angelique Kerber pulled out of the summer games in July citing fatigue as the main reason to skip the competition. Kerber wants to rest to prepare herself for the rest of the year.
Rafael Nadal
Rafael Nadal (Getty)
Rafael Nadal has been there and done that and the main reason he decided to not play in the Tokyo games is because he needed to “listen to his body” and rest up. Nadal may return later this year, he intends to play on, but is picking which tournaments to play.
