Right hip problem in Madrid to tonsillitis which forces him to give up the 2024 Paris Olympics. In the midst of the flu in Rome and the drop in pressure at Wimbledon. The name of Jannik Sinner, 22 years old, the world number 1 in tennis engaged to 25-year-old Russian tennis player Anna Kalinskaya, will not appear on the draw of the tennis tournament of the Games in the French capital as he was not even in Tokyo in 2021. A spring and early summer that were anything but easy for the champion from Alto Adige.
After having postponed his departure for France due to a fever that rose to 38 degrees, the Italian champion was scheduled to arrive in the City of Lights tomorrow, just in time to attend the conference of the Italian men’s team at Roland Garros, scheduled for 6.15 pm.
The announcement of Jannik’s withdrawal came at 5pm today with an official communication from the management, give or take a minute from the athlete’s post on Instagram. A cold shower for everyone considering that less than an hour earlier, Coni had sent the invitation to the meeting to the Italian media accredited to the Games.
“Extremely sad and disappointed”
“I am extremely sad and disappointed,” Sinner began. “Competing at the Olympic Games was one of my main goals for this season, I was really looking forward to returning to Roland Garros and playing for my country in this prestigious event.” The champion from Sesto Pusteria, a January winner of the Australian Open, he then added, “after seeing my doctors on Tuesday and waiting an extra day to give myself a little more time to see if my condition would have improved, unfortunately things have worsened”.
Sinner continued: “as I said, this is shocking for me and I hope to be able to play in the Olympics in the future”. Finally, the conclusion with the wish: “as advised by my medical team, I will now take some time to rest and recover in full health, I would like to wish the Italy Team all the best in view of this important event and I hope to come back stronger in the future”. The news of Sinner’s withdrawal due to tonsillitis has shocked the Italian team but also all his fans and the world of tennis. Now Jannik’s replacement needs to be found both for the individual and for the double. The rule that the athlete must already be called up must be respected, so sMatteo Berrettini and Flavio Cobolli are excluded.
It seems certain that Andrea Vavassori will take Jannik’s place who, health permitting, with the Olympics will only be able to try again in four years in Los Angeles 2028. The president of the Italian Tennis and Padel Federation also intervened on Sinner’s forced withdrawal, Angelo Binaghi who stated, “Sinner’s absence is a great disappointment, especially for the boy who cared so much and for the many Italian athletes who were waiting to see him on the field”.
The number one in Italian tennis then added, “unfortunately we are reliving the drama we experienced at the Internationals, I hope Jannik gets better as soon as possible, I am convinced that we will see him at his best at the US Open, a tournament that all Italians will be able to watch in full and for free on free-to-air TV (on SuperTennis, ed.)”.