David Goffin World number 20 has become the latest player to join a number of tennis stars pulling out of the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.
The Belgian injured her ankle at the Halle Open last month, the same injury that forced her to withdraw from Wimbledon this season.
While playing the first round match of the Halle Open against a French player, Corentin Moutet, the 2017 ATP Finals runner-up slipped and injured his ankle quite badly. Trembling with pain that made him wince, he withdrew from the match, which was followed by a withdrawal from Wimbledon.
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However, Goffin’s withdrawal from the prestigious Tokyo sporting event, which starts in less than two weeks, would be a major setback for the Belgian tennis contingent.
In his statement, the 30-year-old said he definitely plans to compete at the sporting event every four years, but he doesn’t have enough time to recover from his injury.
“I was determined to go there, where I had some pretty good results and therefore the Olympics! But the time to fully recover was too short. Looking forward to a great end to the season,” said David Goffin.
Since turning professional in 2009, world number 20 Goffin has participated in the last two Olympics. In London 2012 season, he lost in the first round to Juan Monaco, while in Rio de Janeiro 2016 season, he beat Sam Groth and Dudi Sela before unexpectedly losing to Thomaz Bellucci in the third round.
Over the past few weeks, many high-profile players, including Rafael Nadal, Dominic Thiem, Stan Wawrinka, Serena Williams and Simona Halep, have announced their decision to miss the biennial sporting event that was postponed to last season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Australian tennis player Nick Kyrgios, who also withdrew from the Olympics in Tokyo, said playing without spectators at such a large event felt inappropriate. He made the decision just hours before the sport’s organizers announced that they were banning spectators from attending the prestigious sporting event following a state of emergency in Tokyo due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The combination of many things will make this season’s Olympics less lively, but it will be an opportunity for lower-ranked players to win medals at prestigious sporting events.
