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Jannik Sinner Pulls Out Of Olympics Due To Tonsillitis

Jul 24, 2024, 11:34 AM ET

PARIS -- Top-ranked tennis player Jannik Sinner pulled out of the Paris Olympics on Wednesday because of tonsillitis, meaning Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz will be the top-seeded men, setting up a potential gold medal rematch of the Wimbledon final.

Sinner, a 22-year-old from Italy, posted on social media that a doctor advised him that he should sit out the Summer Games. Sinner won the Australian Open in January for his first Grand Slam title and moved up to No. 1 in the ATP rankings last month after reaching the French Open semifinals.

The draw for Olympic tennis is Thursday. Matches begin Saturday.

"Missing the Olympics is a big disappointment, given that it was one of my main goals this season," Sinner wrote in Italian. "I couldn't wait to have the honor of representing my country in this extremely important event."

Sinner will be replaced on Italy's team by 207th-ranked Andrea Vavassori in singles and by Luciano Darderi in doubles alongside Lorenzo Musetti.

Denmark's Holger Rune, who is ranked 16th, also announced his withdrawal on social media Wednesday, saying he has pain in his wrist.

The Summer Games tennis competition will be held at Roland Garros, the site of the annual French Open Grand Slam tournament.

Sinner reached the semifinals at the French Open in June before losing to Alcaraz, who went on to win the championship.

Alcaraz, a 21-year-old from Spain, then claimed his fourth Grand Slam trophy at Wimbledon this month by beating Djokovic, a 37-year-old from Serbia. It was the second consecutive year that Alcaraz defeated Djokovic in the final at the All England Club.

Sinner was eliminated from Wimbledon in the quarterfinals.

World No. 1 Jannik Sinner Withdraws From Tennis At 2024 Olympics With Tonsillitis

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Jannik Sinner, the top-ranked men's tennis player in the world, has withdrawn from the Olympics after being diagnosed with tonsillitis.

In a post on X written in Italian (h/t The Athletic's James Hansen), Sinner wrote he wouldn't be able to participate in the Paris Games because doctors "strongly advised" him not to play:

"I am saddened to inform you that unfortunately I will not be able to participate in the Paris Olympic Games. After a good week of clay training I started to feel unwell. I spent a couple of days resting and during a visit the doctor found tonsillitis and strongly advised me against playing.

"Missing the Games is a huge disappointment as it was one of my main goals for this season. I couldn't wait to have the honor of representing my country in this very important event. Good luck to all the Italian athletes who I will support from home. Forza Italia."

Sinner was scheduled to play men's singles and doubles in Paris. He was the top seed in the singles draw, but his absence means Novak Djokovic will likely become the No. 1 seed. Reigning French Open and Wimbledon champion Carlos Alcaraz could move into the No. 2 spot.

If those seeds hold, it would mean Djokovic and Alcaraz will be on opposite sides of the bracket to potentially square off in the gold-medal match.

The Italian duo of Sinner and Lorenzo Musetti were seeded No. 1 for the Olympics.

Hansen noted Andrea Vavassori will take Sinner's spot in the singles competition. Matteo Arnaldi or Luciano Darderi will replace Sinner in doubles.

Sinner has yet to participate in the Olympics. He was eligible to participate in the Tokyo Games three years ago, but said in a statement a few weeks before they started that he needed to "focus on my development as a player" before trying to compete at that level.

In the time since the 2020 Games, Sinner has won 11 ATP tournaments. The 22-year-old took home his first grand slam title in January when he defeated Daniil Medvedev in the Australian Open final.

Sinner most recently lost to Medvedev in the quarterfinals at Wimbledon. He also reached the semifinal at the French Open before losing to Alcaraz in five sets.

Italy hasn't had an Olympic medalist in any tennis competition since Uberto De Morpurgo in 1924.

Jannik Sinner Withdraws From Olympics Due To Tonsillitis

The last time fans saw Jannik Sinner on the tennis court, he was battling dizziness during his match against Daniil Medvedev at Wimbledon. Sinner lost the match at quickly withdrew from the Swedish Open due to fatigue.

Today, the World No. 1 men's tennis player pulls out of the 2024 Summer Olympics. Sinner announced on social media that he would not play in Paris due to Tonsillitis.

Sinner wrote, "I am saddened to inform you that unfortunately I will not be able to participate in the Paris Olympic Games. After a good week of clay training I started to feel unwell. I spent a couple of days resting and during a visit the doctor found tonsillitis and strongly advised me against playing.

Missing the Games is a huge disappointment as it was one of my main goals for this season. I couldn't wait to have the honor of representing my country in this very important event. Good luck to all the Italian athletes who I will support from home."

This is sad news not only for Italians, but for tennis fans all over the world. Sinner had been enjoying a career year before the wear-and-tear of the ATP Tour began catching up with him.

This dramatic announcement will impact the Olympics seeding and shift the focus to the US Open in August. Tennis fans can follow Sports Illustrated's Serve on SI for all the most important news from the sport.

Further Reading: Watch Coco Gauff find out she is the Team USA flag bearer for the Paris Olympics.

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