PARIS: Former Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina on Thursday withdrew from the Olympic Games tennis tournament, joining men’s world No 1 Jannik Sinner in skipping the event.
Fourth-ranked Rybakina had been included in the draw made earlier at Roland Garros, the home of the French Open, but her name was later removed by organisers.
Her withdrawal allowed France’s Caroline Garcia to slip into the Kazakh’s slot in the draw where she will face Jaqueline Cristian of Romania.
Alternate Daria Saville of Australia will now face China’s seventh-ranked Zheng Qinwen.
On Wednesday, Australian Open champion Sinner said he was pulling out of the Games due to tonsillitis.