Stars will play in Rio despite Zika fears

WHILE Olympic golf suffered a huge blow this week with the withdrawal of Rory McIlroy due to fears over the Zika virus, all the indications at Wimbledon yesterday were that tennis in Rio will not suffer similar highprofile withdrawals.

Andy Murray and Roger Federer were among those to reaffirm their intentions to compete in Brazil in August, although both are closely following medical advice over the mosquito-borne virus which has been linked to brain defects in newborn babies.

Murray, who became a father for the first time earlier this year, said: ‘I spoke to my doctor a bit and some of the guys on my team spoke to the doctor of British tennis, who has been working there for 35, 40 years.

‘He seems to think it’s pretty safe and that we should be okay. I think probably when I’m done here [at Wimbledon], I’ll have another chat with him. But my plan is still to play.’

Federer, himself a father of two sets of twins, added: ‘I have never reconsidered my decision. I know I will play. I will try everything I possibly can to be there. For me, the Olympics has always been a big deal. Regardless of where it was in the world, it was always going to be a priority for me.

‘It is a completely personal decision, in my opinion, of the athletes that don’t want to compete in the Olympics. I’ll put mosquito spray on my body. I’ll take the precautions I have to. Swiss Olympic [officials] are giving me all the necessary information that I need to know going in.’ Great Britain’s Johanna Konta and Spaniard Garbine Muguruza are also still planning on travelling to Rio. Konta said: ‘We are constantly getting the most updated information about the virus, about preventive, being careful.’ Both Murray and Federer were also inevitably asked for their views on the decision of the UK to leave the European Union. Murray had made his views clear on the Scottish referendum in 2014, tweeting in the early hours on the day of the vote that he was backing independence, but he was keeping quiet on this particular referendum. He said: ‘I’m not discussing that. I have followed it very closely. I stayed up pretty late.’

Federer was more expansive. The Swiss said: ‘It is an historic day. I don’t even want to think about the negotiations that go into it now. For you guys, it’s going to be years of negotiations.

‘It is definitely interesting times ahead. It’s nice to have democracy here, that you have an opportunity to vote. It’s a beautiful thing. Many people went out and did that. They took a decision. Now you have to make the necessary steps.’