British No.1 Dan Evans has been ruled out of the Tokyo Olympics after testing positive for Covid-19. Evans joins a growing list of top names from the world of tennis to have withdrawn from the quadrennial showpiece.

Currently ranked 28th in singles, Evans had been named alongside two-time Olympic gold medalist Andy Murray in the British squad and was tipped to shoulder the expectations of his country.

Britain had earlier lost its most accomplished women?s star, Johanna Konta, who also withdrew from the Tokyo Games after being detected with Covid-19.

With Dan Evans out, Andy Murray will lead the British charge at Tokyo Olympics

With the absence of two of its biggest tennis stars now in Evans and Konta, the onus is now on Murray to lead a severely depleted and weakened British squad in the Japanese capital.

Murray himself had an unfortunate experience with the novel coronavirus weeks out of the start of this year?s Australian Open.

Though he was certified Covid-free in time to compete in what would have been his comeback event since last year?s US Open, the Scot couldn?t negotiate a suitable quarantine arrangement for himself and his team and, hence, had to skip out of Melbourne Park.

Johanna Konta had earlier withdrawn from Tokyo after being detected with Covid-19

Currently ranked 38th in singles, Konta had to pull out from this year?s Wimbledon Championships as well after testing positive for the dreaded virus.

She had been eyeing a big-bang return at All England, her home Grand Slam, after a frustrating spell nursing injuries.

Among the other notable absentees from the Tokyo Games, which was postponed last year owing to concerns around the novel coronavirus pandemic, are Olympic gold medalists Rafael Nadal and Serena Williams, reigning US Open champion Dominic Thiem and Canadian tennis star Denis Shapovalov, among others.

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Exhausted after a grueling clay court season and visibly short of motivation after losing this year?s Roland-Garros semifinal to eventual champion Novak Djokovic, Nadal shared a series of tweets to break the news that he had pulled out of Wimbledon and Tokyo Olympics.

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Thiem, who has been struggling with poor form and fitness this season, was also ruled out of Tokyo after suffering a wrist injury in Mallorca.