Emma Raducanu has defended her decision to miss the Olympics to protect her body, despite admitting to 'FOMO'
By Lewis Mason
Published 29/07/2024 at 09:19 GMT+1
Emma Raducanu reached the last-16 at Wimbledon as she continued her long fight back to fitness having been disrupted by a number of issues since winning the US Open in 2021. She rejected the opportunity to compete for Team GB at the Olympics and will play at the Washington Open instead and has said the change of surface back to clay would have been too much for her body.
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Emma Raducanu has defended her decision to miss the Olympics as she gears up to play at the Washington Open instead.
The former British No.1 was given the chance to compete for Team GB in Paris as a wildcard pick but rejected the invitation.
Raducanu says she made the decision in an effort to protect her body, as playing at the Games would involve switching back to clay, having just come through the grass court season.
She will be playing on hard courts in Washington - where she has been drawn to face Belgium’s Elise Mertens in the opening round.
"Had the Olympics been on a different surface, then I don't know,” she said.
"It's obviously something that every athlete wants to be a part of. I had to think longer term. Hopefully I'll have more Olympics in my career. I think coming here was 100% the right option.
"For immediate gratification, playing the Olympics would have been nice. But long-term perspective, long-term health, coming here, also I love this tournament.
"Had it been a tournament maybe somewhere else that wasn't as appealing to me, I probably could have reconsidered. But I love D.C. Coming here was very enticing," she said.
Raducanu will be full of confidence going into the tournament, having recently beaten Mertens in straight sets at Wimbledon - in a match where she only dropped three games.
She went on to reach the last-16 at the All England Club, before losing to qualifier Lulu Sun.
Despite being nearly 4,000 miles away from the excitement of Paris, Raducanu admitted she is still thinking about the events taking place in the French capital.
"Of course, there are elements of FOMO [fear of missing out], missing out. Watching the Olympic ceremony, everybody in their team kits, a part of you obviously wants to be there and representing your country. But when I think big-picture, long-term, it’s the right call,” she said.
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It has been a mixed start for Team GB at the Games, with Andy Murray heroically keeping his career alive with an astonishing comeback alongside Dan Evans in the men’s doubles.
Evans also progressed in the singles, as did Jack Draper - who beat Japan’s Kei Nishikori in the opening round.
However, Cameron Norrie was forced to withdraw from the tournament due to injury and Katie Boulter was knocked out at the first stage of the women’s singles.
Despite saying she is sad to miss the pomp and ceremony surrounding the Olympics, Raducanu will not be paying much attention to how her fellow British players are getting on in Paris.
"I don't think I'll be watching, to be honest, that much of the tennis. I think I'll watch the other sports," she said. "I mean, I think it's a great opportunity for all the athletes.
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"I think we're fortunate in tennis that we have the grand slams. A lot of the other sports, they train four years for the Olympics, it's their one opportunity, whereas I think for tennis, it depends. Everyone prioritises different things, targets different things.
"For me at this point in time, I'm prioritising my health but also long-term longevity, I'd say."
discovery+ is the streaming home of the Olympic Games, and the only place you can watch every moment of Paris 2024 this summer.
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