Monday, July 12, 2021
Djokovic and Kerber before cancellation?
Olympic glamor leaves the tennis elite cold
Attend the Olympic Games once and win a medal. This is the dream of many athletes around the world. But this year everything is different – without a spectator, the desire decreases. In tennis, in particular, many top stars have already canceled. Others still quarrel, including the best in the world.
Novak Djokovic had just transformed his historic match ball at Wimbledon, when his path to the Golden Slam, which was previously only achieved by Steffi Graf, was mapped out on the Olympic website. The message of the first in tennis in the world ranking list is likely to be taken up all the more frightened that he is reconsidering the previously firmly planned start. The currently outstanding Serb is just one of a number of stars who are brooding over the circumstances or who have already canceled.
Serena Williams is not flying to Japan, nor is Rafael Nadal, even Roger Federer is still thinking about it – all of them were already Olympic champions. Not so Djokovic, who, with 20 Grand Slam titles, is the record winner at the four most important tournaments together with Federer and Nadal. With a success at the US Open, Djokovic would be the first in the men’s tennis competition since 1969 to win all Grand Slam tournaments in a calendar year. Steffi Graf was also an Olympic champion in 1988 and even managed the so-called Golden Slam. Djokovic could also do that.
But the exclusion of the audience and further restrictions caused by corona made him think again. “This is not great news. It was really disappointing when I heard that,” said the 34-year-old about the absence of fans an hour after his sixth Wimbledon title in front of 15,000 enthusiastic spectators on Center Court.
“Will make Angie very sad too”
Nobody wants to go back to the sterile atmosphere in tennis. The fact that the Olympic Games are taking place without spectators, “that will also make Angie very sad,” said the German women’s tennis boss Barbara Rittner, referring to Angelique Kerber, who gratefully absorbed the support from the stands at Wimbledon.
The 33-year-old is one of five candidates for wearing the German flag at the opening ceremony. After losing Wimbledon in the semifinals, the 2016 silver medal winner in Rio raved about the Olympics, but at least left room for interpretation with her statements. She first wants to talk to her team about the plan for the coming weeks. Your management announced that there will be more information this week.
No desire, no strength
“The thought of playing in front of empty stadiums just doesn’t feel right to me and never has,” said injured Australian Nick Kyrgios when he canceled. The Austrian Dominic Thiem and the Romanian Simona Halep are also missing as further medal contenders due to injuries.
As before the last US Open, Djokovic is also displeased that he does not have his team with him and, among other things, the stringing of his rackets is not allowed to travel with him. The fact that he may not be allowed to attend events in other sports also plays a role in the considerations of the 2008 Olympic gold medalist.
The pros, who had come a long way at Wimbledon, had only just been in a bubble for weeks and only commuted between the facility and their central hotel. Semi-finalist Denis Shapovalov has no desire or energy to be in the next one in a week and a half. It was a dream to represent Canada at the Olympics, emphasized the 22-year-old, but added: “I’m mentally exhausted. I’m exhausted, not just from the tournament, but from the whole situation.”
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