Nadal joins chorus of Tokyo fears
Print Edition
Two-time Olympic champion Rafael Nadal yesterday became the latest top tennis player to admit that he had not yet decided whether he would participate in the Tokyo Games this summer, still giving himself time to decide according to 鈥渃ircumstances.鈥
The 34-year-old Spaniard won gold in the singles in Beijing in 2008, adding another gold in the doubles with Marc Lopez in Rio de Janeiro five years ago.
鈥淚n a normal world I would never consider missing the Olympics. There is no doubt about that,鈥 he said at a press conference ahead of his opening match at the Italian Open in Milan.
鈥淓verybody knows how important the Olympics are for me.
鈥淯nder these circumstances, I don鈥檛 know. Let鈥檚 see what鈥檚 going on in the next couple of months.
鈥淏ut I need to organize my schedule. I don鈥檛 know yet. Honestly I can鈥檛 give you a clear answer because I don鈥檛 know.
鈥淚n a normal year, I know my schedule almost 100 percent from January 1 until the end of the season. This year is a little bit different, no?
鈥淲e need to be flexible. We need to adapt to the things that are happening. I don鈥檛 know, I can鈥檛 give you an accurate answer. Sorry.鈥
Nadal is the latest tennis star to voice his concerns about the Tokyo Games.
On Monday, Serena Williams said she was undecided about going to the Olympics while Japanese stars Naomi Osaka and Kei Nishikori have both raised concerns about whether Tokyo should be hosting the Games at all.
鈥淚鈥檓 an athlete, and of course my immediate thought is that I want to play in the Olympics,鈥 Osaka told the BBC.
鈥淏ut as a human, I would say we鈥檙e in a pandemic, and if people aren鈥檛 healthy, and if they鈥檙e not feeling safe, then it鈥檚 definitely a really big cause for concern.鈥
Nishikori said there 鈥渄efinitely should be a discussion鈥 on whether Tokyo should plough ahead.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 know how much they are thinking about how they are gonna make (a) bubble, because this is not like 100 people,鈥 he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 10,000 people in the village and playing tournaments. So I don鈥檛 think it鈥檚 easy, especially (with) what鈥檚 happening right now in Japan.鈥
A top politician also warned that Japan still had to make a 鈥渃areful decision鈥 about whether to hold the Games, which have scant public support, according to opinion polls.
Scrapping the 2020 Olympics, postponed last year as the pandemic advanced, is an idea that has never quite gone away, despite repeated assertions from officials that they will proceed.
A series of test events have been cancelled, postponed or held behind closed doors, underlining the challenges facing organizers.
And an increasing number of sections of the Olympic torch relay have been scaled back and moved off-road to prevent people from gathering to watch, with the relay legs in Hiroshima and Yamaguchi the latest casualties, organizers said yesterday.
The Olympics are due to run from July 23 to August 8.
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