2018 US Open Tennis Tournament- Day Thirteen. Serena Williams of the United States awaits the presentations after her controversial loss to Naomi Osaka of Japan in the Women's Singles Final on Arthur Ashe Stadium at the 2018 US Open Tennis Tournament at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on September 8th, 2018 in Flushing, Queens, New York City. (Photo by Tim Clayton/Corbis via Getty Images)
As the Olympics draw closer fans worldwide are excited to see their favorite athletes compete in the 2021 games in Tokyo. However, one person they can expect not to see competing in the Olympics this summer is Serena Williams. During a press conference at Wimbledon, the tennis legend shared that she will not be competing this year.
She didn’t explain why she wouldn’t be competing, but when asked about it, she did say, “I’m actually not on the Olympic list. Not that I’m aware of. If so, then I shouldn’t be on it.”
As reporters continued to ask about her decision not to compete, she continued, “There’s a lot of reasons that I made my Olympic decision and I don’t feel like going into them today, maybe another day.” When asked if it would be difficult for her not to compete this year, she concluded, “I have not thought about it. In the past, it has been a wonderful place for me, but I really haven’t thought about it. So I’m gonna keep not thinking about it.”
According to CBS News, U.S. Tennis Association spokesman Chris Widmaier said, “Ultimately, the decision to participate in the Games is an individual one, and as we emerge from the pandemic, we recognize and respect the personal decisions made by our top athletes regarding participation in the Tokyo Games. Although we fully support the IOC and the (International Tennis Federation) and have encouraged our athletes to participate, we recognize the fact that in this unique time, some athletes may choose not to participate for personal reasons.”
Although Serena did not explain why she decided not to participate in the year’s Olympics, many of her supporters have been applauding her for doing what is best for her.
As many of you may recall, Naomi Osaka has been withdrawing from tournaments to cater to her mental health. So far she withdrew from the French Open, Berlin Tournament and Wimbledon, but is expected to compete in the Olympics.
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TSR STAFF: Jade Ashley @Jade_Ashley94
