USA Olympic team captain Bob Bryan was asked about Ben Shelton and Frances Tiafoe‘s decision not to play at the Paris Olympics, and he explained why the move did not surprise him.
The addition of the Paris Olympics to the ATP and WTA tennis calendars means players’ schedules are even more crowded if they elect to compete at Roland-Garros during the Games.
That means some players are left with a difficult decision about whether to compete at the event. It is particularly tempting for players who struggle on clay to skip the games and start their North American hard court seasons early.
Shelton and Tiafoe have made that decision. They are playing in Atlanta this week and will then compete at next week’s Citi Open while the Paris Olympics are taking place.
The Americans are not the only players to do this. Other notable players who skipped the games despite not being injured are Aryna Sabalenka, Ons Jabeur, and Madison Keys. Those WTA stars have spoken about changing from clay to hard courts being a strain they do not want to manage.
Despite Shelton and Tiafoe’s absence, the U.S. Olympic tennis team is still incredibly strong. It is spearheaded by the US Open champion Coco Gauff, who will also be the flag bearer at the opening ceremony alongside LeBron James.
Bryan recently commented on the pair’s absence to Tennis.com. The team captain held no grudge against either man and said he understood that some players may struggle with changing surfaces or may want to focus on preparing for the US Open.
“I’m not shocked by any decisions by the players. Everyone’s got their personal journey and individual goals for the season, and going from hard to clay to grass to clay to hard is challenging for anyone.”
“If your goal is to peak at the US Open, it might not be the most ideal situation for you. So I support and am behind Ben and Frances, and I understand where they are coming from. But for those guys that are going, I think they are going to have a wonderful time.”
The team captain then outlined how excited he was for the energy at the games being back after the last iteration in Tokyo was scaled back due to the pandemic. He then said how important winning a gold medal was to him and his brother Mike during their careers.
“There’s nothing like the Olympic energy. The Olympics for Mike and I was a huge part of our career. It was very high up the goal list and one of the reasons why we focused on doubles.”
“We have some incredible stories from our Olympic experiences and that gold medal is still the trophy everybody wants to hold when they come over to the house.”
Finally, Bryan mentioned how excited he was to help the players as much as possible during the event. He said he believed in them and that winning medals was possible.
“So, pumped to be back in a different role and helping the team any way I can and I’m happy that Mike’s coming along for the ride as well. But just excited about the opportunity to help the players and I really love the guys that are on the team. I believe in them and think we have some great chances to win some hardware for the U.S.”
