Serena Williams will not compete in the Tokyo Olympics, the tennis star confirmed during her pre-Wimbledon video news conference Sunday morning.
She declined to say why she’s not participating, but Williams previously expressed concern about Olympic restrictions blocking athletes from bringing children and childcare assistance along to Tokyo due to concerns about the spread of COVID-19 in Japan.
When asked whether she planned to compete in Tokyo, Williams responded, “I’m actually not on the Olympic list. … Not that I’m aware of. If so, then I shouldn’t be on it.”
Williams, 39, has won four Olympic gold medals in singles and doubles play. She did not, however, medal at the Rio Olympics in 2016.
“There’s a lot of reasons that I made my Olympic decision,” Williams said ahead of her opening Wimbledon match set for Tuesday. “I don’t really want to — I don’t feel like going into them today. Maybe another day. Sorry.”
Williams was asked before the Italian Open in May whether she would consider competing in Tokyo if the policy blocking her from bringing her 3-year-old daughter, Olympia, did not change.
“I haven’t really thought much about that. That’s a really good question,” Williams told reporters in Rome. “I haven’t spent 24 hours without her, so that kind of answers the question itself. We’re best friends.”
Serena Williams sits with her daughter, Alexis…
