"A huge disappointment" - Jannik Sinner withdraws from Paris Olympics 2024 after shock tonsilitis diagnosis
World No. 1 Jannik Sinner has announced his shock withdrawal from the 2024 Paris Olympics, citing a tonsilitis diagnosis. The Italian was set to be the No. 1 seed in both men's singles and men's doubles events and would have been one of the favorites to take the gold in singles.
Sinner was last in action at Wimbledon, where he lost to Daniil Medvedev in the quarter-finals. During that loss, the reigning Australian Open champ showed signs of sickness, as he had to call for the doctor during the course of the match.
However, after a brief recovery period, Sinner was expected to be fit enough to represent his home country at the Olympics this fortnight. On Tuesday, first signs of trouble surfaced, with reports claiming that he had to postpone the trip to Paris after contracting favor.
On Wednesday, July 24, Jannik Sinner posted on social media that he was looking forward to playing in the Olympic games and that he had initially started to feel good.
But a visit from the doctor confirmed that he was suffering from tonsilitis, following which the he was urged to not stress his body by playing tennis instead of recovering.
The 22-year-old added that the news came as a 'huge disappointment' to him as he wished the rest of the Italian athletes at the event all the best.
"I am saddened to inform you that unfortunately I will not be able to participate in the Paris Olympic Games. After a good week of clay training I started to feel unwell. I spent a couple of days resting and during a visit the doctor found tonsillitis and strongly advised me against playing," Jannik Sinner wrote.
"Missing the Games is a huge disappointment as it was one of my main goals for this season. I couldn't wait to have the honor of representing my country in this very important event. Good luck to all the Italian athletes who I will support from home. Forza Italia," she added.
Novak Djokovic will be No. 1 seed at Paris Olympics in Jannik Sinner's absence
With Jannik Sinner's withdrawal, Novak Djokovic will become the top seed at the 2024 Paris Olympics. The Serb is on the hunt for his first Olympic gold medal, the only big title missing in his otherwise glittering trophy cabinet.
Carlos Alcaraz will move up to the No. 2 seed spot, meaning he and Djokovic can only meet in the final. Earlier, there was a chance that they could have met in the semifinals.
In Paris, tennis is being played at Roland Garros, the same venue as the French Open, where Alcaraz is the defending champion. As for the Olympics, Alexander Zverev is the defending champion, having won his maiden gold at Tokyo in 2021.