Although the 2024 Paris Olympics still goes on, the tennis has been finished for some time now, with the ATP and WTA calendars restarting with the bulk of their key stars back in action.
Naturally, the opportunity to play for one’s country tempted many away from the usual circuit, with Washington looking particularly bare for an ATP 500 event for example.
However, this has afforded other players ample opportunity to climb the rankings, with Sebastian Korda one such player to have benefitted.
Now enjoying a strong run in Canada too, it seems that his decision to skip the Olympics has paid dividends.
However, those who did play will attest that it remains an unforgettable experience, but one that Jimmy Connors seemingly cannot wrap his head around.
Jimmy Connors reviews the Paris Olympics tennis
Speaking on his Advantage Connors podcast, the American, who won eight Grand Slam titles across his illustrious career across the 1970s and 80s, is certainly in a good position to comb over the greats of this current generation.
And, given his expertise at the pinnacle of the sport, his insight is truly valued.
In fact, speaking about this year’s games, he even admitted that he simply could not understand how these players deal with the mental fortitude needed to show up in the big moments just once every four years.
He noted: ‘What it means to a lot of the smaller countries, for their players to do well and have a chance to get a medal. Gold, silver, bronze, whatever. That’s not just in tennis, that’s in everything, but to see the exuberance and the look on their face, how heartfelt it is. To keep going back.
‘This is once every four years, that to me… I mean if I had to play, back in the day if I had to play a major every four years, I don’t know how I would’ve handled that. How do you keep up? How do you keep that mental grind? And then it comes down to, what? What’s a 100m dash? It comes down to ten seconds. It’s crazy.’
Novak Djokovic finally won an Olympic gold medal
On top of his adulation for all athletes at the Olympics, Jimmy Connors would also praise Novak Djokovic specifically for finally winning that coveted Olympic gold medal.
On the fifth time of asking, the Serbian struck gold in the one competition where he had failed to claim the elite prize, and in doing so effectively completed his trophy cabinet.
As one of, if not the greatest of all time, it only seemed fair that he would eventually grab that award, but after failing so many times previously, with only a bronze medal to show for his efforts across two decades, it was hard to assume that Novak Djokovic could handle such an unending and shattering amount of pressure.
But handle it he did, overcoming none other than Carlos Alcaraz in the final, just weeks after the Spaniard had dismantled him in the Wimbledon final.
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