With Wimbledon so used to being the dominant tournament in the tennis calendar over the summer, only every four years does that status get challenged.
After all, it is hard to compete with the Olympics, as such a prestigious event which is made so hard to win due to its infrequency.
It is thought that such mystique would make many desperate to play it, and yet with Paris’ iteration just around the corner, Emma Raducanu has decided against it.
Emma Raducanu explains Olympics decision
With Great Britain’s star-studded Olympics roster having been announced, there was one notable omission with no real reason given alongside it.
Raducanu had snubbed the Olympics.
At just 21 years old, it marked a fine opportunity for the youngster to seemingly start early at this prestigious event and seek to play a similar amount of tournaments as Andy Murray has done (set to be five this summer).
However, the change in surface has proven too dangerous for the injury-prone starlet, who would explain her reasoning in the face of backlash: ‘I love playing for my country, I think that was pretty clear at Billie Jean Cup, I really fought, and I enjoyed it so much, but the Olympics is just not the right time for me this year.
‘I really hope to be a part of the next one, but I guess with the change in surface, it’s just not worth the risk for me at this point having recovered from the surgeries last year. But I do wish the team good luck.
‘So not in a diva way, [I’m] just prioritising my body and my health because I know if I’m fit, I know if I’m giving my 100%, I know great things are happening and coming.’
The full Great Britain tennis line-up for Paris 2024 Olympics
Even if she is not the highest-ranked player that Great Britain has to offer, given her fine performances in that aforementioned Billie Jean King Cup on clay, Raducanu would still have been a fine asset for this squad.
However, that’s not to suggest that they are devoid of all hope without her.
After all, the full Great Britain draw for the Olympics plays host to a number of players more than capable of winning silverware, none more so than Murray.
The only man to have successfully defended an Olympics singles title, winning in London and Rio, his powers might have waned, but his experience remains.
His presence alone will hopefully rub off on the likes of Dan Evans, Cam Norrie and Jack Draper, as well as Katie Boulter as the sole representation on the women’s side.
Meanwhile, Murray and Evans will partner in the doubles, as will Neal Skupski and Joe Salisbury.
And elsewhere, in the lady’s doubles, Boulter will join up with Heather Watson, whilst Harriet Dart will play with Maia Lumsden.
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