Fiend at Court Unplugged
The 2020 Olympic tennis tournament didn’t turn out the way that most people expected. In recent history, the Olympic draws have been littered with breakout performances and unexpected results. As the tennis comes to a close at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, a sea of news articles and columns on stunning upsets in the draws is unleashed once again. It is only surprising that people are surprised.
A significant difference between a professional tennis tournament and the Olympics is that the player’s country rather rather than individual names is called when the score is announced. Some players thrive when representing their country while others crater under nationalistic pressure. Andy Murray is one player who seems to consistently outperform expectations when playing for his flag.
It is somewhat lost in history, but Murray’s first big breakthrough in tennis was winning the Gold Medal at the 2012 London Olympics. His first Grand Slam title came at the US Open shortly after that Olympic triumph. Murray’s performance was viewed as surprising at those Olympics as he trounced Roger Federer in the Gold Medal match. It was just two short weeks after he had lost to Federer at Wimbledon.
Professional tennis has turned into a coaching arms race. The top players will have multiple coaches and assistants in their entourage. Even in normal years, players usually don’t take their full “team” to the Olympics. One reason for that is because compensation for coaches is usually a percentage of earnings, of which there is none at the Olympics. In a way, the Olympics may reveal which players are dependent on support from their team and which are more capable of fending for themselves.
In 2020, the Olympics COVID protocols meant that the tennis players were without their normal support team to a greater extent than usual. Additionally when players are housed in the Olympic Village, it further isolates them from their “team” and presents a further break from normal routines and surroundings.
One of the bright spots in Jennifer Capriati’s playing career was her Gold Medal at the 1992 Olympic Games. In Ladies of the Court, her unexpectedly strong showing at the Olympics was partially attributed to her stay in the Olympic village. The separation from her father and the rest of her entourage seemed to have a positive effect on her level of play.
When it comes to tennis at the Olympics, we should only expect the unexpected. This years games did not disappoint.
