“It was a hard decision for me to take after a long and painstaking discussion with my dearest”.
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“It is with a heavy heart that I am announcing my withdrawal from participation in the Rio 2016 Olympic Games”, he said on his Facebook page.
Tennis star Tomas Berdych has announced he will not compete at the 2016 Rio Olympics this summer due to concerns over the Zika virus.
“It is because of the Zika virus spread in the country of the Olympics”, Berdych said as he explained why he would not be attending the games.
Halep, the 2014 French Open runner-up, said she too was concerned over the Zika virus and did not want to damage her hopes of having a family when she retires from playing. “After several talks with doctors and my family, I concluded that the risks are too high for my career and for my health, especially as a woman”.
“I apologize to all of you who are disappointed by my decision”.
Berdych, beaten by Andy Murray in the semi-finals at Wimbledon last week, was due to represent the Czech Republic in Brazil next month.
Hours later, the Romanian Simona Halep, ranked number 5 on the WTA Tour, also chose to pull out on Friday.
Others who have opted to skip the games include John Isner and Sam Querrey from the United States and the Australian pair Bernard Tomic and Nick Kyrgios.
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“While we understand and respect the concerns over the Zika virus, the International Olympic Committee has assured us that all precautions will be taken to limit the risk to athletes, officials and fans”, ITF president David Haggerty told AFP in a statement.
