Novak Djokovic expressed concerns that the Olympic entry regulations paint tennis in an unfavorable light after he dominated Matthew Ebden, a doubles expert who has stepped away from singles play, with a score of 6-0, 6-1 in the first round.
As the top seed, Djokovic breezed past Ebden in just 53 minutes, hardly breaking a sweat, while the Australian struggled with unforced errors and had difficulty maintaining his performance in rallies that extended beyond four shots. Ebden only managed to secure a single game when Djokovic was already leading 6-0, 4-0 and comfortably heading towards victory.
Although Ebden had previously been ranked within the top 50, he came to Paris with no plans to participate in singles. He has not played a singles match since August 2022, having chosen to retire from individual competitions to concentrate on his successful doubles career, where he currently holds the No. 3 ranking.
Numerous players have withdrawn from the competition, including Jannik Sinner, Andy Murray, Hubert Hurkacz, and Holger Rune. In most regular tournaments, depending on when players withdraw, either the next highest-ranked player from the entry list is promoted to the main draw or one of the players eliminated in the final qualifying round gets reinstated as a lucky loser.
In contrast, the Olympics does not feature a qualifying draw; players withdrawing after July 19 must be replaced by the highest-ranked singles players already present in the doubles draw.
“I genuinely struggle to understand these rules,” Djokovic remarked. “They seem illogical to me – if someone withdraws or cancels before or when the draw is made, they then call on doubles players to compete in singles.”
“I don’t believe this reflects well on the sport. Many singles players, some of whom were alternates, had ample time to be called up. That aspect baffles me.
“I sincerely hope the ITF [International Tennis Federation], alongside the Olympics, will reconsider this regulation because it’s challenging for Matthew, who hasn’t engaged in a singles match for two years.”
This issue does not arise in the women’s draw, where several doubles players also excel in singles. In the past few days, Sara Errani, a former finalist at the French Open and currently ranked No. 95, along with Lulu Sun, who surprisingly reached the Wimbledon quarter-finals this month and is now ranked No. 55, have stepped in to replace injured competitors.
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In men’s tennis, however, singles and doubles circuits are notably distinct, mainly because most players refrain from participating in doubles during grand slam tournaments to preserve their stamina for the longer matches. Carlos Alcaraz, the second seed, also cruised through his opening round, defeating Lebanon’s Hady Habib, the world No. 275, with a score of 6-3, 6-1.
The difference in rules between Olympic tournaments and regular competitions primarily stems from logistical challenges. Each Olympic event has a limited number of athletes that can be accredited and a set deadline for substitutions. According to the organizers, the deadlines for alterations to the entry lists are later than in many other sports.
Iga Swiatek, the leading seed and favorite to win the tournament, advanced to the second round, defeating Irina-Camelia Begu with a score of 6-2, 7-5. Jasmine Paolini, who lost to Swiatek in the French Open final last month, also moved on to the second round by beating Ana Bogdan 7-5, 6-3.
Aside from the matches on the main two courts, the opening day was heavily impacted by rain, causing all outdoor matches to be postponed until Sunday.
