SKIP TO MAIN CONTENT

Canada's Bouchard undecided on Rio over Zika fears

The world number 40 shared her fears after her shock defeat by Camila Giorgi of Italy in the opening round of the women's singles in the Washington Open on Tuesday.

Canada's Bouchard undecided on Rio over Zika fears
(Reuters)

1 min read

Published

Source: Reuters


Skip to article content

The Zika virus has been linked to severe birth defects in infants born to infected women, and possible neurological problems in adults.

"I'm kind of a last-minute person, so I'm going to make a decision next week, I guess, the week before (the Olympics)," Bouchard told reporters.

"It's just unfortunate because it would be my first Games, and to have a problem like this (Zika) kind of dampening the excitement of, potentially, your first Olympic Games, it really sucks, to be honest."

News that makes sense

Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

"It's something that I haven't been thinking about. I'm just going to, like, wake up and make a decision."

Compatriot Milos Raonic, who lost to Andy Murray in Wimbledon final earlier this month, had pulled out from the Games because of health fears over the Zika virus.

Czech Republic's Tomas Berdych, world number eight in the men's rankings, and women's world number five Simona Halep of Romania have also decided to skip the Olympics for similar reason.

(Reporting by Ian Rodricks in Bengaluru; Editing by Amlan Chakraborty)


Get SBS News straight to your inbox

Sign up now for daily news from Australia and around the world. You can also subscribe to Insight's weekly newsletter for in-depth features and first-person stories.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Follow SBS News

Download our apps

Listen to our podcasts

Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service

Stream now

Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world