Olympic medals slip down priority list for stars such as Thiem and Isner

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  • Thiem will play in the new ATP tournament in Los Cabos instead of the Olympics.

    Four of the world’s top-23 are snubbing the Olympics in order to prioritise their tour goals, raising questions over the importance of the Games for tennis players.

    World No15 Dominic Thiem, No17 John Isner, No22 Bernard Tomic and No23 Feliciano Lopez have all opted out of playing this summer’s Rio Olympics and will be playing an ATP tournament that same week instead.

    The Olympics is considered by most athletes as the pinnacle of sport, but it appears that for several tennis players, it will always take a backseat to the actual tour.

    Tennis was part of the inaugural 1896 Olympics but was dropped after the 1924 Games. After two appearances as a demonstration sport in 1968 and 1984, it returned as a full medal sport in 1988 and has been played at every edition of the Games since.

    The tennis event at the Games in Rio takes place from August 4 to 14, 2016.

    Thiem, who is one of the hottest commodities on the tennis circuit this year, will joining Lopez and Tomic in the new ATP tournament in Los Cabos (August 8-13), while Isner will play Atlanta (August 1-7).

    The Olympic Games will not be offering ranking points for tennis players, which has been cited as a major factor in Isner and Tomic’s decisions to forgo Rio.

    American No1 Isner admits it was not an easy to call to make but is convinced he made the right choice.

    “It’s something that I took a lot of time to think about. The summer for me obviously is a very important time. It’s a time of the year that I’ve always done well. The Olympics, it’s very tough on the schedule, especially with Davis Cup as well. We’re into the quarter-finals there,” said the 31-year-old Isner, who made the quarter-finals at the London 2012 Games.

    “Davis Cup is still a very big goal of mine, to try to win this quarter-final match and possibly another home tie after that.

    “With all the tournaments sandwiched pretty much around the Olympics, it made it tough for me to go down there.

    “I think the fact that they have no points, to be honest, was a pretty big factor as well. Obviously the Olympics is not about the money, but no points I think hindered me a bit.”

    Tomic made himself unavailable for the Olympics earlier this month, although his chances of being selected were already in doubt after Australia’s Olympic chef de mission Kitty Chiller had said his behaviour is “appalling” and that he was on watch for selection.

    The 23-year-old Aussie had already hinted at skipping the Games as early as the Australian Open last January when he said he might not go if there are no points on offer.

    “On the basis of my extremely busy playing schedule and my own personal circumstances, I am regrettably unable to commit to this year’s tournament. I make this decision based on what is best for my tennis career,” Tomic said in a statement.

    Bernard Tomic.

    Bernard Tomic.

    Asked to expand on his reasons for opting out, Tomic said on Tuesday: “Big schedule, and I said all the stuff I need to say before. It’s unfortunate that I’m not going to play, but I’ve chosen what I’ve chosen.”

    Spanish No4 Lopez, who has competed in two previous Olympics and lost the doubles bronze medal match with David Ferrer in London, says that at 34, he prefers to prioritise his own career over the Games.

    “I was thinking a lot in order to make that decision, it was a difficult one obviously, it’s always great to represent your country. I’ve been to two Olympic Games and I’ve enjoyed both of them. But at this stage of my career I think I have to be thinking about myself a little bit more and honestly Olympic Games for me in the middle of the summer was not the best calendar that I can have so I decided not to play and I will play another tournament that week and then Cincinnati and the US Open, where I have to defend a lot of points,” said Lopez.

    Asked about his decision to play Los Cabos instead, he added: “Well I have the choice. First I decided not to play the Olympics, and then I have the opportunity to win some points in that week so I took the chance.”

    Thiem has been facing pressure from Austria to change his mind about skipping the Olympics. The editor-in-chief of Austria’s largest newspaper, Kronen Zeitung, penned an open letter to Thiem, pleading with him to play but the 22-year-old is sticking to his guns.

    “Even with pressure from outside I’m sticking to my decision. I don’t think tennis is the typical Olympic sport for me, like track and field or swimming for example. For me tennis is all about winning a grand slam that’s always my priority,” Thiem said on Tuesday in Paris, after beating Inigo Cervantes in four sets to make the second round.

    “Even if you look at football, Germany or Austria don’t send their A squads to the Olympics, because football isn’t necessarily viewed as a typical Olympic sport, and I feel the same way about tennis.”

    World No1 Novak Djokovic believes not having points awarded at the Olympics is “debatable” and personally feels choosing to skip it is a “big decision”.

    World No1 Novak Djokovic believes not having points awarded at the Olympics is “debatable” and personally feels choosing to skip it is a “big decision”.

    “To be quite frank, I don’t see a reason why not (earn ranking points at the Olympics). We have the best players in the world participating in arguably the fifth grand slam. It’s of that importance for all of us, even more, because it happens every four years,” said Djokovic on Tuesday.

    “I mean, it’s a subject for discussion. I would definitely encourage people to rethink of getting points out there.

    “From my perspective, being part of Olympic Games is something that I don’t think I have ever experienced before. It’s wonderful, wonderful feeling being there with all the best athletes from around the world, being part of that Olympic Village, representing your country.

    “You know, it’s a big decision to skip Olympic Games. You never know what can happen in four years.”

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