Top 10 athletes who will not participate at the Tokyo Olympics

These stars have different reasons to bow out of the quadrennial event.

Tokyo Olympics is finally going to take place after a year's delay due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Olympics is a platform where fans get to witness some of the best athletes in the world, competing together.

However, this time, it is going to be different as several global stars are not going to be a part of the mega event. They opted out of the competition due to COVID-19, personal injuries and various other reasons.

Let's take a look at the top 10 athletes who will not participate at the upcoming Tokyo Olympics.

10. Bianca Andreescu

Bianca Andreescu is known for his famous victory over Serena Williams at the US Open to win her first Grand Slam title. In what came as a shocker to many, she decided against participating at the Tokyo Olympics due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The 21-year-old revealed her decision came in the aftermath of all the challenges due to the pandemic protocols associated with the event.

9. Derek Drouin

The current world High Jump champion and the gold medallist from the last Olympic Games will not compete at the Tokyo Olympics. Canada's Derek Drouin revealed that he is still recovering from multiple injuries including an Achilles tendon tear and spinal issues - which has forced him to pull out of the event.

8. David Rudisha

Two-time Olympic gold medallist (2012, 2016) and the current world record holder in 800m, David Rudisha, will not be featuring in the Tokyo Olympics. David Rudisha has suffered from many injuries in recent times and accidents. The Kenyan athlete has not featured in any competitive tournament since 2017.

7. Christian Taylor

Triple jumper Christian Taylor from the USA will not be a part at Tokyo 2020. The Olympic gold medallist and reigning World Champion is currently suffering from broken Achilles since May 2020. He is not fit to take part in the quadrennial extravaganza.

6. Dustin Johnson

The World No.1 golfer decided to withdraw his name from the list of players participating in the Olympics. Johnson revealed that he needed a break from the game and hence decided to withdraw from the Olympic Games.

"I have been playing continuously for a long time, I need a break and also I am much focused on the PGA Tour," he stated.

5. Serena Williams

When the American tennis star decided to skip the Tokyo Olympics, it came as a shocking news to the tennis fraternity. A four-time Olympic gold medallist, Williams revealed that the mega event is always a great place for her but this time, there are a number of reasons for her to not be a part of it.

She later also revealed that COVID-19 was one of the reasons behind her withdrawal from the Tokyo Olympics.

4. Carolina Marin

Rio 2016 gold medallist, Carolina Marin is also set to miss this Tokyo 2020 due to an injury in her left leg. She felt pain during a training session earlier in 2020 and after a series of tests, it was revealed that she tore the ACL and meniscus on her left knee. The 28-year-old badminton star had defeated PV Sindhu in the finals of the 2016 Olympic Games to clinch the coveted gold medal.

3. Neymar Jr.

Neymar Jr. helped Brazil to win the first Olympic gold medal in football during 2016 Rio edition. However, he has pulled out of the upcoming quadrennial event after his club PSG refused to release him for national duty. The club can decide whether to allow the player to participate in the Olympics or not as it is not a FIFA tournament.

2. Rafael Nadal 

The Spanish maestro decided to not take part at the Tokyo Olympics after facing defeat in the semi-final of the French Open. Rafael Nadal is a two-time Olympic gold medallist in tennis singles (2008) and doubles (2016) category. He decided to skip the mega event to manage the workload and also to prolong his career further.

1. Roger Federer

Roger Federer will not be participating in this year’s Olympic Games due to the injury he sustained during the Wimbledon 2021. The 20-time Grand Slam champion said that it's an honour and highlight of his career each time he represented Switzerland at the Games. He also added that he is much focused on rehabilitation work currently and will make a return to ATP Tour later in the year.

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