Tennis legends Serena Williams and Rafael Nadal are uncertain on their status for this summer’s Tokyo Olympics with about a month to go before the cutoff for entering.
“I haven’t really thought much about Tokyo, because it was supposed to be last year and now it’s this year, and then there is this pandemic and there is so much to think about,” Williams, the 23-time Grand Slam champion, said Monday, ahead of her match Wednesday at the Italian Open. “Then there is the Grand Slams. It’s just a lot. So I have really been taking it one day at a time to a fault, and I definitely need to figure out my next moves.”
Williams, 39, won the singles and doubles gold medals in London in 2012, and doubles gold medals in 2000 and 2008 — all with her big sister Venus. Now she has a daughter, Olympia, and does not want to be separated from her for three weeks during the Olympics.
“I haven’t spent 24 hours without her, so that kind of answers the question itself,” Serena said.
“I would not be able to go function without my 3-year-old around,” Williams said during the Australian Open. “I think I would be in a depression. We’ve been together every day of her life.”
It remains unclear if Olympic organizers will allow athletes to bring young children to the Games.
Nadal, 34, won the singles gold medal at the Beijing Olympics in 2008 and doubles gold in 2016 in Rio. He is the only member of the “Big 3” to own a singles gold medal, as Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic do not.
Nadal will be seeking his 14th French Open title and record-breaking 21st Grand Slam title at Roland Garros May 30-June 13. The Olympic tennis fields will be based on the world rankings from June 14.
“Honestly I can’t give you a clear answer because I don’t know,” he said Tuesday in Rome regarding Tokyo. “In a normal world I will never see about missing Olympics, of course. Is no doubt about that. Everybody knows how important have been for me always play Olympics. Under these circumstances, I don’t know.
“I normally know my schedule almost 100% since 1st of January till the end of the season. This year is something a little bit different, no? We need to be flexible. We need to adapt about the things that are happening. Let’s see. I don’t know. I can’t give you an accurate answer. Sorry.”
Serena Williams, Rafael Nadal Uncertain On Tokyo Olympics As Deadline Approaches Next Month - Forbes
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