Canadian tennis star Bianca Andreescu makes 'difficult decision' to skip Tokyo Olympics
Canada's Bianca Andreescu is the latest prominent tennis player to pull out of the Tokyo Olympics.
The world's No. 5-ranked women's singles player said Monday that her decision to withdraw was "very difficult."
"I have been dreaming of representing Canada at the Olympics since I was a little girl, but with all the challenges we are facing as it relates to the pandemic, I know that deep in my heart, this is the right decision to make for myself," Andreescu, 21, wrote on Instagram.
A number of prominent players have already pulled out of the Tokyo Games for various reasons, including Serena Williams, Rafael Nadal, Dominic Thiem, Denis Shapovalov, Nick Kyrgios and Reilly Opelka, the top-ranked American man.
Wimbledon men's singles winner Novak Djokovic said he was 50-50 on whether he'll go.
The Olympics, which begin on July 23, will be held without fans in the stands because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Athletes will also be limited in who they can bring with them to Tokyo.
Andreescu, who won the 2019 U.S. Open, said she's looking forward to representing Canada at the Fed Cup and the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Contributing: Dan Wolken, Paste BN Sports