Olympia: Angelique Kerber cancels participation in Tokyo
Angelique Kerber will not take part in the Tokyo Olympics.
by SID / tennisnet
last edit: Jul 15, 2021, 02:49 pm
Angelique Kerber has canceled her participation in the Olympic tennis tournament in Tokyo due to injury. This was announced by the three-time Grand Slam winner, who was also the flag bearer for the German team, on Thursday.
"Being able to compete for Germany in London 2012 and Rio 2016 as part of the German team is one of the best memories of my career so far," wrote Kerber in a statement on social media: "So I'm all the more disappointed to have to admit to myself that my body urgently needs rest after the exertion of the last few weeks and that I first have to get fit again before the season can continue for me. "
The decision was "infinitely difficult for her, and I thank everyone for their support!" Continued Kerber. Most recently, the 33-year-old from Kiel advanced to the Wimbledon semi-finals after winning the tournament in Bad Homburg. She already had problems with her left thigh, but bit her way through. For Tokyo, the Olympic runner-up from Rio was planned as a single player and for the mixed alongside Alexander Zverev (Hamburg) - that will not happen now.
With Kerber's cancellation, the Olympic tennis tournament in Tokyo continues to lose relevance. The top stars Roger Federer (Switzerland), Rafael Nadal (Spain), Serena Williams (USA) and Simona Halep (Romania), along with other highly rated professionals, had also canceled.
It is still unclear when Kerber will return to the tour. The 33-year-old is currently on the entry list of the WTA 1000 tournament in Montreal, which begins on August 9th.