Angelique Kerber became the latest addition to the list of superstars missing the upcoming Tokyo Olympics. Although the German had an impressive run to the semifinals at Wimbledon, she admitted fatigue caught up to her, forcing her to make this decision.
The German joins illustrious names like former World No. 1 Serena Williams, Simona Halep, Bianca Andreescu and Sofia Kenin.
Angelique Kerber cites the need to recover as reason for missing the Tokyo Olympics
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Although the German suffered first round exits at the Australian Open and French Open, she put out excellent performances on grass. In fact, the World No. 22 pushed World No. 1 Ashleigh Barty in the semifinals, before losing to the Australian in straight sets.
With the season taking its toll on several players, Kerber put out a tweet announcing her absence at the Olympics. While she mentioned fatigue as the main reason, she wished her fellow German teammates luck for the quadrennial event.
— Angelique Kerber (@AngeliqueKerber) July 15, 2021
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She wrote,?“Representing Germany in London 2012 and Rio 2016 as part of the German team has always been one of my favourite memories of my career so far. This makes it even more disappointing for me to accept the fact that my body needs rest after the intense few weeks that lie behind me and that I have to recover first before returning to competition later this summer!”
“Thank you for your support, as this has been a very difficult decision for me. Good luck to all my fellow German athletes in Tokyo, #TeamDeutschland, I will miss you,”?she concluded.
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With Kerber now out, Germany’s hopes to clinch gold rest majorly on their top-ranked player Alexander Zverev.
READ MORE: Angelique Kerber Reveals Reason That Helped Her Heal From the Loss at Wimbledon Championships 2021