Emma Raducanu will not be competing at the Olympic Games in Paris this summer after links to the University of Oxford.
Team GB are bringing a roster of stars headlined By Andy Murray to Roland-Garros this summer but the 2021 US Open champion will miss the games.
The 21-year-old is back after a career renaissance with fitness and form struggles but she rejected the chance to feature in her first Olympics.
Raducanu’s decision to miss the Paris Games comes down to avoiding risking further injury problems due to the Roland-Garros courts’ surface.
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Emma Raducanu was knocked out of Wimbledon. (Image: PA)
Having had a rocky 2023, taking part in jut nine matches due to injuries after double wrist surgery and an ankle operation.
Despite this, Raducanu was offered a chance at Olympic tennis this year by the International Tennis Federation (ITF) which reserves two places for former Grand Slam champions.
She missed the French Open earlier this year which uses the same clay courts that will feature in Olympic tennis.
“I’m very single-minded and I do things my own way and in my own time whenever I want,” said Raducanu.
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“So not in a diva way, [I’m] just prioritising my body and my health because I know if I’m fit, I know if I’m giving my 100 per cent, I know great things are happening and coming.
“I just don’t think there’s any need to put additional stress on my body or any risk, especially with my history.”
Clay is the slowest of the three court types in comparison to Wimbledon’s grass surface which is the fastest.
The hard courts, which are used at the US Open and Australian Open, is the middle ground and the most common surface on the ATP tour.
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The Princess of Wales and Princess Charlotte meet Emma Raducanu at Wimbledon. (Image: PA)
Raducanu, now ranked 94th in the world, will next be in action in August at the US Open but will need to adapt to these harder courts if she is to go far in the tournament.
Iain Bates, the head of GB’s Olympic tennis team, was “very comfortable” with the omission given the injury issues which have affected Raducanu’s decision.
“Everyone’s aware of her history and the double wrist surgery from last year,” he said.
“That [change of surface] places a greater stress on her.”
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Emma Raducanu has ruled the Olympics out.
Ahead of Wimbledon, Ms Raducanu was pictured in the main quad of Corpus Christi College during a visit to Oxford University.
“I’m very much focused on my professional tennis career,” she said in the post-match press conference.
“Once that’s over maybe or once I have more disposition or more time, that’s for sure something I would love to explore.
“For now I’m very much focused on the tennis.”
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