Shoulder surgery! Sensational winner Monica Puig cannot defend Olympic gold
Monica Puig cannot defend her sensational gold medal from the 2016 Olympics this year. As the Puerto Rican announced on Instagram, she had to undergo a second shoulder operation.
by Michael Rothschädl
last edit:
Jun 07, 2021, 07:46 pm
It was the summer of 2016 when a certain Monica Puig was about to write Puerto Rican sports history. Puig had already taken the two established world-class players Garbine Muguruza and Petra Kvitova out of the competition at the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro - and only faced one final hurdle with Angelique Kerber. A hurdle that the 27-year-old should master. With 6: 4, 4: 6 and 6: 1, Puig won gold in the individual.
It was the first ever gold medal for a Puerto Rican female athlete at the Olympic Games - and for Puig himself by far the greatest success of her career. Now, five years later, with a year late, Mission title defense would have started for the Puerto Rican, Puig would have traveled to the Summer Olympics in Tokyo as the reigning gold medalist.
Puig undergoes surgery
But now nothing comes of it, as Monica Puig announced on Instagram: "I have no good news to announce: About a week ago I underwent my second shoulder operation and that puts me in the position that I will not go to Tokyo this year Olympic Games. It was a very difficult decision that I made with a heavy heart. "
As hard as the decision was, there was no alternative, as Puig assured: "My team and I think long-term and try to make my career last as long as possible. I hope to see the Olympic Games in Paris in 2024 Play. That was one of the reasons and another was that nobody wants to play with pain. And the pain was so intense that I couldn't spend more than ten minutes on the pitch. "
2021 season over
This means that the 2021 season will end early for Puig, as the Puerto Rican announced that she will only return to the tour in the coming season. "Of course I'll miss it very much, but I'm already looking forward to being able to return to the field in 2022," said the 27-year-old on social media and at the same time thanked her supporters for the great support.
Puig currently ranks only 455th in the WTA charts, the 27-year-old played her last match at the French Open 2020, where Puig lost out to Sara Errani in round one with 1: 6 and 2: 6. The Olympic gold medalist's best result was 26th place in 2016. The year of her greatest triumph.