Radwanska sees merit behind Sabalenka, Jabeur, and Raducanu bidding for ranking over gold

Former World No.2, Agnieszka Radwanska has spoken ahead of the Olympic Games about the likes of Aryna Sabalenka, Ons Jabeur and Emma Raducanu deciding to play for ranking money instead of gold in Paris and defend them for their decision.

Radwanska spoke to Tennis365 and said that she sees why they've done it and that no decision should be criticised especially by those not in their shoes. They will all play the DC Open instead and that it is an individual decision in the view of Radwanska.

“You can never tell how the girls are feeling and they will have their reasons for not playing at the Olympics,” said Radwanska to Tennis365.

“The tennis schedule is so tight. You have tournaments pretty much every other week and you prepare for that.

“Also, you know that in the year with the Olympics, it’s going to be tough. You have to think ahead about what is going to happen.

“You also have to listen to your body about what is right for you. That’s why it’s hard to comment on a player withdrawing from an event because it as to be about how they feel. They know better than us. They are doing what is right for them. It is always an individual thing.”

Emma Raducanu explained the decision at the time saying that she will prioritise getting her body right instead of playing tournaments this season. She said that she will have other opportunities to play the Olympic Games but others criticised it that she may not get the chance in 2028.

“It’s pretty natural becoming a different person overnight almost with the circumstances, not necessarily myself, at such a young age,” said Raducanu back when she announced her decision.

“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 per cent, I know great things are happening and coming.

“It’s easier to get caught up in it and at one point I was chasing playing too many tournaments and then I was just picking up niggle after niggle in every tournament because I never really gave myself any time to do the training. That is something I’ve done a lot better this year.

“Even though I might get challenged or questioned for not playing certain tournaments, like the French Open or the Olympics, that is just part of it, doing things at my own speed and how I want to, rather than how everyone else thinks is best for me. Success in the long run is staying healthy. It’s about doing everything I can to avoid training hard but training smart, to stay injury-free.

“I’ve experienced how time flies when you can’t train or play for a long time. It’s not really fun. Success is doing everything I can to make sure I’m in that position to train and stay healthy. I have reassessed my goals for this year a few times. I think my goals will change throughout the year. My priority is to develop my game, which means that I probably won’t play too many tournaments this year.”