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Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer Listed As Participants At Tokyo Olympics

Jul. 1, 2021
Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer Listed As Participants At Tokyo Olympics

Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer were both named Thursday on the list of players for the Tokyo Olympics, although Federer may still withdraw.

“Obviously, if I play really good here or really bad, I think it has an impact on how everything might look for the summer,” said the 20-time Grand Slam champion, who advanced to the third round at Wimbledon Thursday. “Still, my feeling is I would like to go to the Olympics. I would like to play as many tournaments as possible. But I think we decided now let’s just get through Wimbledon, sit down as a team, and then decide where we go from there.”

Wimbledon ends July 11, and Djokovic and Federer could potentially meet again in the final. The Tokyo Games — which were postponed a year because of the coronavirus pandemic — are scheduled to open on July 23.

Women's world No. 1 Ash Barty and Japan's Naomi Osaka headline the women’s field. Osaka is dreaming of winning gold in her native country after pulling out of the French Open and opting to skip Wimbledon because she did not want to meet with the media.

A first-time gold-medal winner is assured in the women's singles field as defending champion Monica Puig of Puerto Rico won’t compete due to injury.

Andy Murray, who won gold in 2012 and 2016, will attempt to win his third gold medal, although he has fallen to No. 118 in the world while recovering from hip surgery. He is one of three Brits into the third round at Wimbledon.

Djokovic, who won a bronze medal in Beijing in 2008 when Federer won doubles gold, is seeking a “Golden Slam” this year in which he wins all four majors and the Olympics. Only Steffi Graf in 1988 has accomplished that.

Federer, who turns 40 in August, has never won singles gold.

Among the big names skipping Tokyo are 20-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal, who opted to skip Wimbledon and the Olympics, and 23-time major winner Serena Williams, who aggravated a hamstring injury by slipping on the grass during her first-round match Tuesday. Serena had said before her loss that she would not compete in the Tokyo.

(Reuters contributed reporting)


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