Journalist shares what one player has told him in private about the Paris Olympics being straight after Wimbledon

Follow us on Google Discover

A tennis journalist shared a story from a player about the transition to competing at the Paris Olympics straight after Wimbledon.

Now the grass court Grand Slam has come to an end, attention now turns to the prestigious Olympic Games, with the tennis event set to commence on July 27.

The players are having to adapt with the swift transition from grass to clay, which not something they are all accustomed to. However, the travel time to Paris for most players will be short given the close proximity of the UK and France.

This is a complete contrast from 2021, when players travelled to Japan before travelling all the way to new York for the US Open, which many feel hindered Novak Djokovic’s quest for the Olympic gold medal and calendar Slam.

What story did Jon Wertheim share regarding the transition from Wimbledon to the Paris Olympics?

Some players skipped either Wimbledon or the Olympics due to the quick turnaround between playing on two very different surfaces.

But according to Jon Wertheim who appeared on the Tennis Channel, this is a far easier transition to make compared to what one player said they dealt with when travelling to Tokyo for the previous Olympics.

“I was talking to one player who said three years ago he said look we had to cross the Pacific Ocean and then come back for the US Open,” the American said.

“Grass to clay, that’s nothing when you can take the tunnel and take the EuroSport and be in Paris in two hours!

“Keep in mind how much of tennis’s nerve centre is in Europe, so getting to Paris is easy. It’s a direct flight. I heard one player say getting to Tokyo was a disruption. Clay to grass to clay will be okay.”

Who are the top contenders at the Paris Olympic Games?

An Olympic gold medal is one of the most coveted titles in tennis but very few reach the pinnacle given the opportunity to win comes around every four years.

Alexander Zverev will enter the competition as the defending champion and will be full of confidence after reaching the French Open final at the same venue in June.

It is impossible to write off Rafael Nadal who is playing in the last Olympics of his career and has a staggering record at Roland Garros with 14 wins.

They will face stiff competition from Carlos Alcaraz, who is the reigning French Open champion and Djokovic, who is determined to win the one title that eluded him throughout his career.

“I still have intentions to play in the Olympic Games, hopefully have a chance to fight for a medal for my country,” he said after losing to Alcaraz in the Wimbledon final.

“Let’s see how physically and mentally I’m going to feel. Hopefully I can find the right tennis because I’m going to need all I have and more to go to the final of the Olympic Games.”