Sunday News

Zika pullouts

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Two top-10 tennis players withdrew from the Rio Olympics yesterday, citing concerns about the Zika virus. Fifth-ranked Simona Halep on the women’s side and No 7 Milos Raonic for the men, announced their decisions after their names were listed on the Internatio­nal Tennis Federation’s roster for next month’s Games. ‘‘After several talks with doctors and my family, I concluded that the risks are too high for my career and for my health, especially as a woman,’’ the 24-year-old Halep, the 2014 French Open runnerup from Romania, posted on Facebook . ‘‘Family is much too important for me and I can’t risk not being able to have one of my own after my career in tennis is over.’’ Raonic, a 25-year-old Canadian who made his first major final at Wimbledon this month, said in a statement that ‘‘I am making this decision for a variety of health concerns including the uncertaint­y around the Zika virus’’.

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