Speaking at a publicity launch yesterday for bookmaker Paddy Power, the two time Olympic Bronze medallist suggested McIlroy and other golfers who have withdrawn from the games in Rio may have been motivated by financial concerns, not the spread of the Zika virus.
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Per BBC Sport, he joins fellow tennis players Milos Raonic and Simona Halep in withdrawing from the Games.
Rafael Nadal of Spain greets the audience after winning the match of men’s singles first round match against Sam Groth of Australia on day 3 of 2016 French Open tennis tournament at Roland Garros, in Paris, France, on May 24, 2016. In a statement, the 25-year-old Canadian said that “I am making this decision for a variety of health concerns including the uncertainty around the Zika virus”.
Nuzman said the golfers are trying to blame Zika behind their snub but the media reports have revealed that they are skipping the upcoming games as there is no prize money.
Czech Republic’s Tomas Berdych is the latest athlete to announce his withdrawal from the Olympic Games due to concerns over the Zika virus. “As I have founded a family recently to limit health risks towards my nearest if the utmost priority”.
“Family is much too important for me and I can’t risk not being able to have one of my own after my career in tennis is over”, she added. I am very proud to have competed for Canada at the London 2012 Summer Olympics, and on the world stage at several Davis Cup events.
Still, unlike golf, most of the world’s top tennis players plan to go to Rio next month.
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John Isner of the United States, Austria’s Dominic Thiem, Australian duo Bernard Tomic and Nick Kyrgios as well as Spanish veteran Feliciano Lopez have all opted, for various reasons, not to take part in the Olympics.
