Stan Wawrinka Is The Latest To Withdraw From The Olympics

Rio, Oh Rio.

Who is left? How many star players are left in Tennis?
How many World ranked swimmers will enjoy swimming in polluted water…who are advised to keep their mouths closed while swimming. What about their skin, being the largest human organ?

Will the medals always carry an asterisk?

August 2nd, 2016 at 4:06 pm

That is why I always said Olympics doesn’t weight much tennis wise. Never we have the top 4 players playing it, last one Nadal was out, this one Fed, Wawa and Raonic alteady out (3 top 6) and Nadal could announce he will be out today as well.

It doesn’t even come close to a Slam.
Yes, any athlete dreams about winning Olympics for almost all other sports where the highlight of their careers is winning Olympics medal. But for tennis players it is Slams, always will be. They want the atmosphere, living the villa experience, but in the end they wouldn’t be withdrawing if it was THE tournament, regardless if it only happens every 4 years. There wasn’t any history for tennis inthe past and that weights on today.

The “Rio” factor is just the excuse they had not to fly to SA when they are in NA HC season.

August 2nd, 2016 at 4:43 pm

J-Kath,

I’ll tell this, I never, ever enter Guanabara bay beaches, ler alone going deep in there.

Obly the oceanic beaches and Copacabana os suspiscious to me either. I’ll go from Ipanema to the ones south, which are the best amd less crowded.

Think people are overeacting overall, Zyca for example I only met a boyfriedn of friend of a cousin who got it. Peole say the Olympic park is beautifull and the city looks ready apart frok traffic whih mayor already announced another holuday on Thursday 4th, thank you!

But indeed, it is a depleted field, like Paris used to be a few year ago when almost all players were burn out and skipped to focus on WTF.

August 2nd, 2016 at 4:47 pm

Better for Djoko and Murray, one of them will win it for sure.

Hope the one who does ot doesn’t spent to much energy and come back ready to fight in USO.

August 2nd, 2016 at 4:49 pm

I feel bad for Switzerland. They had chances for real medals in tennis, men and women, singles, and doubles.

August 2nd, 2016 at 5:12 pm

BBB:

I feel bad for certain Swiss but never do I feel bad for Switzerland. You know how God created the world??? It is an old joke but having lived in Switzerland, I could keep you entertained (or bored) for a good chunk of the rest of the decade.

August 2nd, 2016 at 5:18 pm

Daniel:
Interesting as well as scary what you say about the beaches.

For those who remain (in tennis) they are mostly very patriotic – Nole and Andy and Rafa to name a well-known trio.
It is up to them how they feel and how they feel honoured to represent their countries. I don’t feel what they feel but it is not up to me/us mere mortals to decide for them.

PS: Apparently not only the “water” is facing criticism but also the accommodation and facilities.

August 2nd, 2016 at 5:34 pm

The Great Guga has spoken;

http://www.sportal.co.nz/tennis/news/kuerten-laments-rios-federer-loss-rio-2016-olympic-games/1w73xdbllm0891sj21xwckfkyk

“For me, he is the one I miss the most from this Olympics.””

Fans around the globe will share your setiments..

August 2nd, 2016 at 5:34 pm

Also poor Hingis, ahe had a huge chance at another medal and now both she could pair to realistically have a shot are gone.

August 2nd, 2016 at 5:48 pm

Daniel, I thought of Hingis too! This is probably the 1st time in her life she wanted to hook up with one guy, then another guy, and got ditched by both.

August 2nd, 2016 at 5:55 pm

J-Kath – funny! I’ve traveled there maybe 25 times for work, a few times for fun. I hear you :) But I’m wondering where else Switzerland will be competitive in the summer games….

Daniel – do you know if Bacszynski going?

August 2nd, 2016 at 5:56 pm

BBB

She’s playing singles and doubles.

August 2nd, 2016 at 6:11 pm

BBB

Where was your work based in Switzerland? Bern?
Geneva is where I was based. Beautiful place and won’t forget the fish platters along the Lac. Was some good things there…as long as you don’t get hospitalized suddenly with appendicitis!!!!

August 2nd, 2016 at 6:15 pm

Chrisford 1:

Chuckle.

August 2nd, 2016 at 6:20 pm

J-Kath Lucky never to be hospitalized! Yikes. But I was in Geneva as well. The bar at the Beau Rivage is one of my favorite places in the world…. Perhaps our paths overlapped!

August 2nd, 2016 at 6:56 pm

CF1,

You remainded on my cousin, I met her last year (in one European country, she is absolutely gorgeous 31 years young women, and asked her when is she going to get married and she answered to me “Ohh my dear cousin, untul 30 years of age women are choosing, after 30 year of age we are waiting to bo chosen.” and she had a sort of sad look on her face, I loughed loud, so loud that my wife had to kick me under the table. There is happy end though, she just two weeks ago she gave birth to beautiful girl. she found partner, that’s how they call it (do it) these days:)
Hingis is over 30 :)

August 2nd, 2016 at 6:56 pm

Re Timea – then she and Hingis have a chance of getting a medal, if not gold, I would think….

August 2nd, 2016 at 6:58 pm

BBB

Mervyn Pick – was a regular…where a co-worker (kept her weight down with her raw beef) – quite sanguine about picking up the odd worm.

August 2nd, 2016 at 7:03 pm

And for people who are following this young player, like I do, who after promising start was side lined with injury since late last year, Kokkinakis is playing in Rio and for a difference of boofhead Tomic and uninterested (in tennis) Kyrgios, 4K was very keen to play Olyimpics for Australia.

August 2nd, 2016 at 7:07 pm

Good news about Kokkinakis. It would be easy to follow in the footsteps of his countrymen.

August 2nd, 2016 at 7:08 pm

BBB,
Though he is good mate with them, he is completely different person, nice well mannered and measured young man, unfortunate to have such serious shoulder injury.

August 2nd, 2016 at 7:11 pm

Even more impressive, to be close to them and conduct himself differently.

What’s the nature of the shoulder injury?

August 2nd, 2016 at 7:19 pm

To be honest I don’t know, but by look of it it was serious surgery, and looks like neither surgery nor recovery went well, this is what they originaly thought, but it didn’t turn out to be so good:

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/sport/tennis/tennis-star-thanasi-kokkinakis-to-return-better-and-stronger-after-successful-shoulder-surgery/news-story/c38052bc4ee62a493cb276518a03a644

August 2nd, 2016 at 7:24 pm

^^^
..and this is doom and gloom just few months ago, but he still managed to make it for Olympics, they say in this article they shaved some bone or something in his shoulder:

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/olympics-2016/thanasi-kokkinakis-to-miss-rio-olympic-games-after-latest-injury-setback/news-story/3652aa1d16ed77e686bc1444305c29e2

August 2nd, 2016 at 7:28 pm

BBB,
Regarding this:

“Even more impressive, to be close to them and conduct himself differently.”
I firmly believe everything comes from home and upbringing, and don’t believe in “cought up with wrong crowd” explanations. School and other outside influences are only polishing us up but person is formed at home, or where is growing up. If I remember well my high school lessons from “Psychology” classes, Sigmund Freud’s theory is that the person, with all major characteristics, is form by the age of 12, evrything else after is just polishing and adjusting to life circumstances, I believed my techer than as 16/7 years old student and believe him even more now after all my life experiences…which are long and extensive.

August 2nd, 2016 at 7:43 pm

Wog Boy,

Just checking: Is Kokkinakis the guy that “banged Wawrinka’s girlfriend”, according to Kyrgios?

August 2nd, 2016 at 7:55 pm

TB,

Did you you have to come up with that?
I can’t stop loughing, you are a breath of fresh air here, don’t listen fedfanatics:)

According to Kyrgios, yes, neither Dona nor Stan denied it (Stan wouldn’t know that anyway, partenr is the last one to find out who is …). Just to clarify, “banging” is very nice thing to do and is desirable and ok, but talking about that is not, it is disrespectful to person on the othe side of “banging”, does this make any sense to you TB.

August 2nd, 2016 at 8:26 pm

WB, are you familiar with the Stanford Prison Experiment? It fundamentally changed my view of how malleable we are.

I still can’t get behind the furor over Kyrgios’ comments. Tennis is so uptight compared to other sports.

August 2nd, 2016 at 8:59 pm

BBB,

No I am not, but I will google it, after all I do google search more ofter these days, thanks to you:)

August 2nd, 2016 at 9:03 pm

BBB, they made a movie out of it and is a good one, tense.

August 2nd, 2016 at 9:11 pm

Daniel, he was my college professor. He taught (perhaps still teaches) the introductory psychology course, which is amazing for someone of that stature. Very open about his own errors in running the experiment, and I believe he acknowledges that it was ultimately unethical.

Let me know what you think, WB. You’ll probably have a better appreciation of why I have trouble with people who believe they are not subject to ordinary human flaws.

August 2nd, 2016 at 9:17 pm

That’s nice BBB. I am just an enthusiast towards psychology.

August 2nd, 2016 at 10:32 pm

@Wog Boy – I’m glad 4K is back. He was my favorite of the young guys, along with Thiem.

@TB – what’s lost in that quote by Kyrgios and the following furor is that 4K and Vekic dated for a while. They broke up before she started dating Wawrinka.

August 2nd, 2016 at 10:38 pm

RZ,

Mine too, I saw him as a “life after Nole”:)

Just look at his match with Nole last year at FO, and though it was three sets it was a cracker, for me the best match at FO15, clay perfectly suits his style, gives him time to pick up the ball and unleash the beast.

BBB,

Had a quick look and it is really intriguing and complex experiment and outcome, need much more time to make up my mind, I am a bit slow..

August 2nd, 2016 at 11:02 pm

@RZ

I don’t get it! If Kokkinakis and the girl dated before she started dating Wawrinka, then Wawrinka should have known there was banging and should have not been offended.

I thought Kokkinakis banged Stan girlfriend while she was with Stan. In that case, Kyrgios’ remark would have been revelatory and hurtful for poor Stan.

Are you sure they dated?

August 2nd, 2016 at 11:26 pm

Nothing can beat British humor and TB, you do remind me on person in this short video:

https://youtu.be/2Gkiw7zpULo

August 3rd, 2016 at 12:16 am

BBB@8.59
Completely agree with you. What’s more the comments were muttered by Nick and picked up by the powerful on court mike. They weren’t shouted over the net for all to hear. Felt sorry for Vekic but this shows the double standards operating. Who cares what she was doing either before or after she got together with Stan? OK for Stan to leave his wife and daughter for another woman, twice, twice of course.
Ridiculous furore.

August 3rd, 2016 at 1:12 am

Only good thing about this is Sania & Bhoppana Gold medal chance increased.

August 3rd, 2016 at 3:41 am

Margot – well said.

WB – the implications are, to me, frightening. We’re all just a situation away from reverting to a state that is “nasty, brutish, and short.”

August 3rd, 2016 at 9:24 am

Davis Cup: GB v Argentina is at the Emirates, Glasgow as we probably all thought. If the announcement is a bit early given Rio etc. the tickets are not available until further notice.

PS: Re. the Kyrios incident. Nick’s sweet brother gave an interview in which he added insult to injury.

August 3rd, 2016 at 10:10 am

JK – I have no idea why Nick’s brother was even commenting. Doesn’t he have his own life? He seems to be a pig at his brother’s trough. I suspect Nick would fare better if he had more distance from his brother.

August 3rd, 2016 at 11:33 am

@TB yes they dated. The outcry about Kyrgios’s comment wasn’t due to 4K’s and Vekic’s past romantic history; it was because Kyrgios had no business bringing it up publicly during a match. It’s none of Kyrgios’s business and didn’t need to be aired for the whole world (or at least tennis fandom) to hear.

August 3rd, 2016 at 11:52 am

Yep BBB.

I’m avoiding saying two bad apples as Nick, with a decent coach, does has potential.

August 3rd, 2016 at 12:19 pm

The Olympics is like a Davis Cup event that happens only once every 4 years. It would seem to me that the Olympics is a lot more prestigious than your average tour event. When someone is an Olympic gold medal tennis player, this is inevitably mentioned as part of their accomplishments. I get the fact the majors are worth more to the players. They should be. They’re the hardest events to win. Nonetheless, the Olympics has its place.

Rio has its issues. Many Olympic cities have really struggled in the months, weeks and days leading up to the opening. Ultimately, they’ve all pulled them off pretty well. I expect the same in Rio.

I think this Zika mess has worn on the minds of many players far more than they’re willing to admit and this is the reason they don’t want to go. It’s one thing to go to the Olympic village and the elevators aren’t working. Quite another to potentially contract something that can mess up your life for a long time. Tennis players don’t need to go to Rio to make a living. Most of the other Olympic athletes don’t have that luxury.

August 3rd, 2016 at 12:33 pm

For those who have decided to go…good on them. Not sure I would make the same decision if I was in their shoes. No event, no matter how big, is worth your health. I wonder if Soderling would have gone to Rio after he had the experience with mono and if he was still playing.

August 3rd, 2016 at 12:36 pm