Novak Djokovic has called out Olympic bosses over a rule that he believes is ruining the “image” of tennis.
The world No. 2 needed just 53 minutes to demolish his first-round opponent in Paris. Matthew Ebden was placed in the draw as an alternate following withdrawals but the Australian doubles star had not played a singles match since 2022.
And Djokovic now wants the International Olympic Committee and the International Tennis Federation to rethink the regulations for future Games.
Jannik Sinner and Holger Rune were among several high-profile players who pulled out before the Olympics draw was made on Thursday morning. Under the guidelines for the tennis event, any withdrawals that came after July 19 were replaced by doubles players.
It meant that Ebden – a doubles world No. 3 who is unranked in singles – was subbed in and drawn to face top seed Djokovic in the first round. It was a brutal affair on Court Philippe-Chatrier as Djokovic led 6-0 4-0 before the Aussie finally got himself on the board, 46 minutes in. Djokovic went on to win 6-0 6-1.
After the match, the 24-time Grand Slam champion slammed the rules and claimed that Olympic bosses and the ITF should allow singles players to travel in and enter the draw. “Look, I really don’t understand the rules they’re a bit, really not logical for me,” he said.
You know that you have if somebody withdraws or cancels before or when the draw is made then you call doubles players to play singles. I don’t think it’s a good image for the sport, to be honest. There were a lot of singles players that had plenty of time, that were alternates, that could’ve been called to come.”
Djokovic also revealed that Ebden spoke to him about his lack of experience in the singles, with his last official match coming in the qualifying for Winston-Salem in 2022. “So this part I don’t get, I really hope the ITF along with the Olympics will consider changing this rule because it’s tough on Matthew because, he hasn’t played I guess a singles practice in two years,” he continued.
“He’s told me it’s been over two years [since] he played a singles match, this was his last singles match, he’s officially retired [from singles]. So not a great feeling for him being on the court like that but it is what it is. As I said, I’m happy with overcoming the hurdle the way I did in the first match. Tomorrow I’ll have a day of training and preparing for the first match.
The world No. 2 claimed that, with this year’s Olympics taking place in Paris, it would have been even easier for other players to make the trip before the main draw started on Saturday after he was asked about Matteo Berrettini as an example.
He added: “I don’t think the rules are great at all. I think that needs to change and it’s been happening every Olympic Games that I was part of, this is my fifth. I just don’t understand why, if you have time, if it’s in Europe – most of the other players are in Europe, some are in the States.
“But there was a lot of players that were alternates and they were ready to come, within half a day they would be here. So I just don’t get this rule, I hope they will change it. It’s not a great image for tennis and as you mentioned, Berrettini was one of those players that could easily be playing in this tournament.
