Emma Raducanu won't play at the 2024 Paris Olympics, and it's because she didn't feel like her body was ready for it.
The British player missed much of last year due to multiple surgeries, which corrected the issues plaguing her. She had triple surgery, repairing both of her wrists and an ankle, and as a result, she had to take half a year to fully get back to health.
She could have probably gotten back quicker if she really wanted to, but that approach demonstrated her mindset well. She's not one to rush things and certainly not one to put herself at too much risk if she doesn't have to.
It's something that permeated her Olympics consideration as well. Raducanu was slated to receive an ITF wild card entry into the event, but she declined it, opting to focus on her health and not push herself too much.
"For me, it was pretty clear from the start. I’m very single-minded, I do things my own way and at my own time, whenever I want, not in a diva way, but prioritising my body and my health."
This year's summer schedule is more brutal than usual because there is an additional big event. Not only is that mentally stressful, but it's also physically stressful, especially since the Olympic Games are played on clay.
Any player who played in Paris and then will play in London and then back at Roland Garros will have to endure a clay-grass-clay sequence, which is terrible for a player's body and adaptation.
Multiple players have already opted out of the Olympics, and Raducanu is among them. Given her history of injuries, there was no need to put more stress on her body.
"If I’m fit, if I’m giving 100 per cent, I know great things are coming. I just don’t think there’s any need to put additional stress on my body or any risks, especially with my [injury] history."
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