Olympia 2021: Medvedev wants to play, Federer doubts, Opelka cancels
The Olympic tennis tournament in Tokyo is scheduled to take place from August 24th to 30th. Which of the top players actually goes to Japan is open.
by Jens Huiber
last edit: Jun 01, 2021, 03:59 pm
Tennis and the Olympic Games - this is a relationship that has not lasted that long in the modern age of sport. 1984 in Los Angeles for the first time after a break of 60 years balls were struck in an Olympic environment, initially only as a "demonstration competition". Four years later in Seoul there was actually precious metal to be won, the first gold medals in the singles went to Stefanie Graf, who was to win all four Grand Slam tournaments that season, and Miloslav Mecir, who did not win a single grand in his entire career -Slam tournament should win.
In the meantime, tennis has established itself again in the Olympic landscape, the reports of the players of their participation vary from grandiose (tendency: London 2012) to not quite as outstanding (tendency: Rio de Janeiro 2016). It also depends on who is being asked.
Federer without a family
A lot will be asked at the French Open 2021, including the 2021 Olympics, which, if at all, will take place in Tokyo in a few weeks' time under very special auspices. The majority of the tennis elite still seems willing to compete in the Japanese capital. However, the first doubts are already spreading.
Roger Federer, for example, who has declared Wimbledon, Olympia and the US Open as the (last) big goals for this year, did not want to make a clear commitment to travel to Tokyo after his success against Denis Istomin. He must first clarify with his team and family whether this makes sense, said Federer. For him it is already an unfamiliar situation, and also at Wimbledon, to be on the road without a family.
Medvedev wants to go
Daniil Medvedev is even more relaxed about the matter at the moment, he expects medal chances in several disciplines (even if the Russian would certainly not be among the favorites in doubles). After his maiden win at the French Open against Alexander Bublik, Medvedev also said: "With two weeks of quarantine, no tennis player will go to Tokyo." As of today, five days of isolation are planned for the athletes.
One person took himself out of the raffle: Reilly Opelka, who surprisingly showed a few days ago in Rome by making it to the semi-finals, will forego Tokyo 2021. He would rather concentrate on the following North American hard court tournaments. It can be assumed that Opelka will not be the only tennis professional who will ultimately make that decision.