With Wimbledon done and the victors crowned, there is little time for rest in the tennis calendar.
After all, the schedule is already busy enough as it is, but this year is different. After all, these superhuman athletes now have an extra, hugely prestigious event to contend with as well as the four Grand Slams: the Olympics.
Only coming around every four years, it marks a scarce opportunity and a title that few throughout history can boast.
However, there are some stars who have opted against the tournament, and now they are seeking to clamp down on such insubordination.
The ITF sends Olympics warning to tennis players
Speaking to the Tennis Channel, seeking to divert attention from Wimbledon onto the Olympics, the panel were less interested in the potential match-ups and more in the controversy that is emerging from this event.
After all, adding another tournament right in the middle of summer, dramatically shifting surfaces, is only bound to draw scrutiny.
And, in return, plenty of players have opted out of the Olympics in favour of additional rest or alternative tournaments, with more potentially set to be ruled out too.
But, journalist Jon Wertheim actually revealed how the ITF have responded to this, seeking to ensure that the big names remain invested, as he claimed: ‘The ITF came out with the entry list and players have been told gently that you have made a commitment, we expect you to withhold it.
‘A number of players – Ben Shelton and Ons Jabeur – have already taken a pass. But the ITF has made it clear that if you have committed, barring injury of course, we expect to see you there.
‘The draw will be filled, nobody is getting walkovers. The players have essentially been told you have signed up for it, we expect to see you in Paris.’
This year’s Olympics is genuinely dangerous
This kind of threatening claim from the ITF is questionable given, as aforementioned, the shift in surface is so dramatic.
Having already been and done the clay-court season, and with Wimbledon’s conclusion marking the end of grass, players would now usually be preparing to make the switch onto hard courts, notoriously the worst on the body.
We have already seen plenty of slips and injuries caused by the grass, but the harsh impact of the tournament surrounding the US Open and beyond is something which has been well-documented.
So, to see players get no preparation for that sharp change from grass to hard, instead returning to clay, seems foolish.
It is, of course, a necessary evil for a competition as prestigious as the Olympics, but to enforce participation seems almost unlawful.
It will be interesting to see how things develop on the injury front in the coming months.
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