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Tennis superstar Serena Williams has announced that she will not participate in the upcoming Tokyo Olympics in July. The 39-year-old announced her decision at the beginning of Wimbledon on Monday. Williams said she would explain her decision on another day. However, she has indicated in the past that COVID fears were worrying her, especially with the presence of her child at home. The 23-time Grand Slam winner said that she would not be allowed to take her child to Tokyo for The Games as it would have violated COVID protocols. This statement from the legendary American athlete came about a month back.
“I’m actually not on the Olympic list. Not that I’m aware of. If so, then I shouldn’t be on it,” Williams said. “There’s a lot of reasons that I made my Olympic decision. I don’t really want to. I don’t feel like going into them today. Maybe another day. Sorry,” she added.
“I have not thought about it. In the past, it’s been a wonderful place for me. I really haven’t thought about it, so I’m going to keep not thinking about it,” she continued.
Williams has joined a rather long list of players who have withdrawn from The Games. The biggest superstar on the men’s side of the sport who will not part in the Euros is Spanish player Rafael Nadal. Roger Federer has said that he will make his decision after Wimbledon, but he will probably turn down the chance to go to Tokyo owing to fitness and COVID fears.
The former world number 1 will focus on adding another feather to her cap as she will focus on the grass-court Grand Slam. It will be the 24th time she will lift a Grand Slam trophy should she win the competition. She will start off her campaign against current world number 100 Aliaksandra Sasnovich to follow at the All England Club. She will face Angelique Kerber in what will be a rematch of the 2018 final should she get through the first two rounds. Kerber had beaten the American for the crown on that occasion.
