Switzerland’s Stan Wawrinka will miss the Olympic tennis tournament in Rio de Janeiro because of back problems, further decimating the Swiss team that already has to make do without Roger Federer.
Wawrinka, the current No.4 in world rankings, said his back condition deteriorated during the Toronto tournament last month. He lost in the semifinals in Toronto.
He has started undergoing medical checks in Switzerland and must hold off from any physical activities until the tests are completed, the Swiss Olympic Team said on Tuesday.
“I’m very sad,” Wawrinka said. “I would have liked to go to Rio to take part in my third Olympic games after Beijing and London.”
Federer and Wawrinka won gold in the men’s doubles eight years ago in China.
Wawrinka joins Federer, who is No. 3, along with No. 7 Milos Raonic of Canada, No. 8 Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic and No. 10 Dominic Thiem of Austria in withdrawing from the Rio de Janeiro Olympics for a variety of reasons.
Federer is out for the rest of the year with an injured knee.
No. 5 Rafael Nadal has been sidelined with an injured left wrist since the French Open and has been testing his fitness in Brazil.
Kei Nishikori, No.6, and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, No.9, round out the top 10.
Wawrinka won the 2014 Australian Open and the 2015 French Open.
The withdrawals have put the focus on top-ranked Novak Djokovic of Serbia and British Wimbledon champion Andy Murray, the winner in London 2012, as the two top contenders for gold in Rio.
Belinda Bencic has also withdrawn from the Swiss Olympic tennis team, owing to pain in her wrist, leaving Switzerland with only Martina Hingis and Timea Bacsinszky.
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