Tennis chief calms fears over Zika virus

London - The world governing body for tennis reassured players and fans Saturday over the threat posed by the Zika virus at the Rio Olympics, after Wimbledon runner-up Milos Raonic pulled out of next month's Games.

Raonic and women's world number five Simona Halep dealt the Olympics tennis tournament a double body blow on Friday when they withdrew from Rio, citing health fears over the mosquito-borne virus.

They became just the latest big names to pull out of the August 5-21 Olympics, which has been hit by the mass withdrawal of the world's top golfers.

"While we understand and respect the concerns over the Zika virus, the IOC has assured us that all precautions will be taken to limit the risk to athletes, officials and fans," International Tennis Federation president David Haggerty said.

"We also accept the view of the World Health Organisation that there is no reason at this time to postpone or cancel the Rio 2016 Olympic Games."