Wawrinka Won't Play in Rio Olympics

Fourth ranked Stan Wawrinka will not be able to play in the Rio Olympics he withdrew on Tuesday because of a bad back. This will be another blow to the tennis tournament in the Rio Olympics which has been hit by numerous high-profile pull-outs.

Wawrinka 31, from Switzerland join Roger Federer and Belinda Bencic who also removed themselves from the event because of injury.

“I am very sad,” said Wawrinka, the former French and Australian Open champion.

“Going to Rio was close to my heart. After Beijing (2008) and London (2012), I wanted to live these Games in Brazil.

“Sadly, it’s not possible. I wish good luck to all the Swiss athletes who will go to Rio and I will support them from distance.”

Wawrinka aggravated his back injury in Toronto last week where he reached the semi-finals.

He won the Olympic doubles gold medal with Federer at the 2008 Games but lost in the first round of the singles in London to eventual champion Andy Murray.

Big-serving Australian Sam Groth was lined up to replace Wawrinka in the draw.

“Late call-up to join the @AUSOlympicTeam in Rio. Couldn’t be more pumped,” Groth tweeted.

World number 3 Roger Federer opted out of the Games last week and shut down his 2016 season to rest a knee injury. Belinda Bencic, ranked 19, withdrew due to a wrist injury.

The tennis Olympic tournament, which starts on Saturday, has been hit by a number of pull-outs over injury, fears of the Zika virus or scheduling complaints.

Milos Raonic, Tomas Berdych, Dominic Thiem, Richard Gasquet, John Isner, Feliciano Lopez and Nick Kyrgios are not playing.

In the women’s singles high profile players like Simona Halep, Victoria Azarenka (pregnant), Bencic and Karolina Pliskova won't be playing. While Maria Sharapova, silver medalist behind Serena Williams in 2012, is serving a two-year doping ban.

The men’s doubles was also tainted when defending champions Bob and Mike Bryan opted out, insisting “our family’s health is now our top priority”.

Later Tuesday, Rafael Nadal will decide what events he will play in Rio as he makes a return from a wrist injury which has kept him off tour for two months.