The top American hope for a men's tennis singles medal at this summer's Olympics is skipping the trip to Rio.
John Isner said Monday he will not play in Brazil in August, instead focusing his efforts on the North American hardcourt season.
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The 30-year-old is the top-ranked U.S. player at No. 16 in the world. He reached the quarterfinals in London four years ago before falling to eventual silver medalist Roger Federer.
"It's a decision I didn't take lightly," Isner told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Scheduling was Isner's primary concern. He is the three-time defending champion at the Atlanta Open, which will be held the week before play begins in Rio. The key U.S. Open tuneup in Cincinnati comes immediately after the Olympics
With Isner's withdrawal, 26th-ranked Jack Sock would be the top U.S. men's singles player available, followed by Steve Johnson (32) and Sam Querrey (38).
While a medal emerging from that group would be a shock, the U.S. should still have strong representation on the court through top-ranked doubles team Bob and Mike Bryan and Serena and Venus Williams, should they choose to participate.
