By Erik Gudris | @atntennis | Sunday, July 28, 2024
Picture credit score: Clive Brunskill/Getty
For a lot of athletes, the chance to characterize one’s nation in international competitors on the Olympics is the reward itself. But this yr’s Summer time Video games in Paris is dealing with criticism within the Tennis occasion over its coverage of final minute participant substitutions.
This particularly consists of gamers with extraordinarily low and even no present singles rankings.
MORE: Nadal Units Up sixtieth Profession Conflict with Djokovic at Olympics
That was the case for high seed Novak Djokovic of Serbia who simply defeated Australia’s Matt Ebden 6-0, 6-1 in 53 minutes in his opening match on Saturday. Ebden, who at present has no singles rating, although was as soon as a World No.1 in doubles was positioned into the singles draw as a final minute alternate.
Ebden was already within the occasion for males’s doubles.Whereas Ebden, as soon as ranked No. 39 in singles, tried his greatest, he was no match for Djokovic.
Due to late withdrawals, 3 gamers WITHOUT ATP singles rankings have made it into #Olympics singles draw at #Paris2024
Matt Ebden Australia, who misplaced to Djokovic
Francisco Cabral Portugal
Petros Tsitsipas GreeceDo not suppose that is the form of inclusion the #Olympics had… pic.twitter.com/bCU7c2nEbX
— Christopher Clarey 🇺🇸 🇫🇷 🇪🇸 (@christophclarey) July 28, 2024
Afterwards, Djokovic whereas understanding the scenario, mentioned later he didn’t suppose it was a very good search for the occasion to have such a lopsided matchup.
“There have been a whole lot of singles gamers that had loads of time, there have been alternates, that might have been advised to come back,” Djokovic mentioned. “So this half I do not get and I actually hope that the ITF together with the Olympics will think about altering this rule as a result of it is powerful on Matthew. He advised me it has been over two years (since) he performed an official singles match and he mentioned this was his final singles match, he is formally retired. In order I mentioned, it isn’t an excellent feeling for him being on the court docket like that.”
Carlos Alcaraz confronted the same scenario when, Hady Habib, representing Lebanon, was referred to as as much as face the latest Roland Garros and Wimbledon champion within the first spherical.
Although Habib is at present ranked World No. 275 in singles, it was additionally one other a method win for Alcaraz 6-3, 6-1. Habib was inserted within the draw when Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz withdrew from the Olympics as a consequence of a knee harm suffered at Wimbledon.
R2 🔜@carlosalcaraz advances to the second spherical of #Paris2024 as he defeats Hady Habib 6-3 6-1 🔥#Olympics | #tennis pic.twitter.com/3f3lE4Hcei
— ITF (@ITFTennis) July 27, 2024
Additionally as a consequence of accidents, each Alex de Minaur of Australia and Cameron Norrie of Australia withdrew earlier than their opening rounds. They have been changed by Portugal’s Francisco Cabral and Greece’s Petros Tsitsipas, each already within the males’s doubles occasion.
The last-minute substitutions into the boys’s singles occasion of gamers with little or no singles expertise or lack of a high 100 rating pissed off many tennis gamers and followers.
Former World No.1 Andy Roddick took to social media to complain in regards to the scenario and supply some options.
The Olympics singles alternate scenario is ridiculous. Gamers that don’t even/cant play singles at highest stage getting the decision is dumb
— andyroddick (@andyroddick) July 28, 2024
Permit certified onsite alternates for singles
— andyroddick (@andyroddick) July 28, 2024
The difficulty is a difficult one for Olympic officers to resolve given attempting to coordinate {qualifications} and scheduling with the common excursions.
In keeping with Christoper Clarey, writing for the ITF Tennis web site, officers needed to navigate a tough lower off date of July 19 for bringing new gamers into the occasion. On this case, if Hurkacz had withdrawn earlier than July 19, a participant with a better singles rating would have been added to the occasion.
“We’re a part of a a lot larger operation right here,” mentioned Alex Hughes, the manager director of main occasions on the Worldwide Tennis Federation. “There’s nothing prefer it actually in sport, and so by way of logistics, we’re not as agile as at an strange tennis event. We are able to’t simply swap and alter issues as we want.”
Hughes added that the Olympic committee needed to negotiate with nationwide associations and gamers for a date that was truthful for everybody. That’s why the July 19 lower off date was picked.
For Habib, he was entered into the occasion with a universality place, basically a wildcard spot for athletes from underrepresented Nationwide Olympics Committees.
Lastly, many high gamers, for quite a lot of causes, selected to not compete in any respect on the Olympics. Some due to scheduling, some due to accidents, and a few as a result of they didn’t need to swap surfaces so shortly from the grass at Wimbledon, to the clay in Paris, after which to arduous courts for the upcoming North American swing.
Whereas the ladies’s singles occasion confronted comparable final minute withdrawals, gamers with established singles credentials have been in a position to be added.
They included Katerina Siniakova, Daria Saville, and Lulu Solar who’re already within the ladies’s doubles occasion.
Djokovic is ready to face Rafael Nadal in his second spherical for a sixtieth profession assembly between the 2 all-time greats.
Picture Credit score: Clive Brunskill/Getty
