Paris 2024: 'Quick Change of Surface' - Ons Jabeur Reveals Reason For Not Participating in Olympics

World number 10 Ons Jabeur of Tunisia has followed world number 3 Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus in confirming that she will not be competing at the upcoming Olympics in Paris.

For the first time since Barcelona in 1992, the Olympic tennis tournament will be held on clay. Players will have to move from grass at Wimbledon to clay at Roland Garros for the Olympics before returning to North American hard courts.

The hard-court summer will include back-to-back WTA 1000 events in Toronto and Cincinnati, followed by the year's final Grand Slam, the US Open

Tennis at the Paris 2024 Olympics is scheduled to be held from July 27th to August 4th on the clay courts of Roland Garros. The event will take place just a few weeks after Wimbledon 2024 which will be played on grass courts at the All England club in London.

Many stars have cited the quick adaption of change of courts as the reason to opt for either Wimbledon or the Olympics. Spain great Rafael Nadal has opted to skip Wimbledon to remain ready for the Olympics, while Jabeur has opted for the opposite.

Jabeur, who competed in the previous three Olympics, took to social media to announce that she will skip the Olympics for precautionary measures against injury.

"After consulting with my medical team regarding attending the Olympics in Paris, we have decided that the quick change of surface and the body's adaptation required would put my knee at risk and jeopardize the rest of my season. Unfortunately, I will not be able to participate in the 2024 Paris Olympics," Jabeur posted on X.

"I have always loved representing my country in any competition. However, I must listen to my body and follow my medical team's advice," Jabeur, who made first round exits in 2012, 2016 and 2020 Olympics, added.

Earlier, Australian Open champion Sabalenka told reporters at the Ladies Open that she decided to care for herself and prepare for the hard-court summer.

"Especially with all the struggles I've been struggling with the last months, I feel I have to take care of my health. It's too much for the scheduling and I made the decision to take care of my health," Sabalenka said at media day as quoted by WTA.

"I prefer to have a little rest to make sure physically and health-wise I'm ready for the hard courts. And I'll have a good preparation before going to the hard court season. I feel that this is safer and better for my body."

Meanwhile, the likes of Naomi Osaka and Caroline Wozniacki, former world number one players, are scheduled to return to Roland Garros for the Paris 2024 Olympics in July.