Raducanu won’t be competing at the Paris Olympics after all.
Emma Raducanu was given a chance to compete at this year’s Paris Olympics but the 21-year-old Briton declined a wildcard and therefore won’t be making her Olympic debut this summer in the French capital.
Raducanu, currently ranked at No. 209 in the world, didn’t have a ranking high enough to get directly into the Paris Olympics. However, as a Grand Slam champion, the ITF offered the 2021 US Open champion a main draw wildcard – which she refused because “the timing wasn’t right.”
“I think she feels this isn’t going to be the right timing for her for this summer,” Ian Bates said, the head of Team GB’s Olympic tennis team.
What Raducanu meant by ‘the timing isn’t right’?
When asked about the Olympics earlier this year, Raducanu said she would like to represent Great Britain one day at the event but never said she would certainly play at the Paris Olympics.
By deciding against playing at the Paris Olympics, Raducanu probably determined that it wouldn’t be a good thing for her body after having three surgeries last year since that would mean quickly changing surfaces.
This week Raducanu kicked off her grass season in Nottingham. Had she accepted to play at the Paris Olympics, she would have to return to clay shortly after Wimbledon. And then after playing on clay in Paris, she would go to hard courts and start preparing for the North American hard court swing.
When asked if the British tennis officials were disappointed with Raducanu’s decision, Bates suggested they were fine with her decision.
“I’m extremely happy she’s on court. Some of tennis her and Katie (Boulter) played last night was extremely high-level. She is 21 and hopefully she has many Olympics in her. From an Olympic team side or head of women side, I’m very comfortable with decision she’s made,” Bates said.