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Andy Murray faces an uncertain wait to see if he will make the Olympic doubles draw alongside Dan Evans as he considers whether to attend his fifth and final Olympic games in Paris.
Meanwhile, Emma Radukanu opted out of competing at the Olympics, even though she was also offered one of the Olympic quotas. Katie Boulter will be the only selection in the women’s singles.
On Sunday, the LTA announced their selections for Great Britain’s Olympic teams, with Cameron Norrie, Jack Draper, Dan Evans and Murray named in the men’s singles team. While the top three singles players qualified through their rankings, Murray, a three-time Grand Slam champion and two-time Olympic singles gold medalist, secured his singles spot through one of the quotas available for Grand Slam champions and Olympic gold medalists.
In the Great Britain doubles nominations, Joe Salisbury and Neil Skupski have been selected as the doubles team, while Murray and Evans have been nominated, but their participation will depend on whether their combined rankings allow them to qualify for the draw. Women’s doubles nominees Boulter and Heather Watson plus Harriet Dart and Maya Lumsden will also have to wait and see if their rankings allow them to reach the draw.
Although Murray’s singles ranking is assured, he has repeatedly said he would prefer to compete in Paris only if he has a realistic chance of winning a medal. With his current difficult singles form and the Olympic tournament being played on the red clay of Roland Garros, it is clear that the 37-year-old has a better chance in doubles.
“I’m still not 100 percent sure what the doubles situation is and whether or not I’m going to play if I only go in singles,” Murray said last week. “I don’t know. My body hasn’t felt right playing clay for the last month or so. I’ve had a lot of problems with my back, so I don’t know if I’d just go singles. I’ll have to wait and see.”
For most of this year it looked likely that Great Britain would be able to send two designated men’s doubles teams, as doubles players ranked in the top 10 can choose any partner as long as they are in the top 400. Both Salisbury and Skupski was ranked in the top 10 until Monday, when Skupski fell to No. 12 in the ATP doubles rankings. These rankings are used to determine the Olympic entry lists.
The LTA considered pairing Salisbury with Murray and Skupski with Evans in case Skupski stayed in the top 10, but in the end they had to choose different pairings. Ian Bates, head of Great Britain’s Olympic tennis team, says the LTA remains “confident” Murray and Evans will make the cut, especially as the highly complex Olympic qualification rules favor singles players.
A quick guide Draper wins first title in Stuttgart
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Jack Draper won his first ATP Tour title after winning the Stuttgart Open. The new British number one lost his previous two finals but was third time lucky with a brilliant three-set win over former Wimbledon runner-up Matteo Berretini. Draper showed he has game for the big stage with a 3-6 7-6 (5) 6-4 win against an opponent who was fighting for a third title in the German city. A win for Draper lifts him to a career-high No. 31, which would be enough to qualify for Wimbledon. PA Media
Olympic qualification rules also played a role in the women’s nominations and Radukanu’s omission from the team. As Radukanu’s current ranking of No. 209 would not allow her direct entry into the main draw, the 2021 US Open champion was also relying on a quota place to compete in singles.
There are only two quotas available in each draw and if three or more champions apply, players with more major titles or Olympic gold medals have first refusal. Radukanu seemed unlikely to get a quota place with four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka, three-time Grand Slam champion Angelique Kerber and Caroline Wozniacki all ranked outside the top 100 and ahead of her on the list. After an unexpected offer of a place at the last minute, Radukanu decided to turn it down.
“It’s really clear to me how much it would mean to her to be part of a British team,” Bates said. “We saw how much it meant to her when she represented [Billie Jean King Cup] team in April. I think she feels that this summer will not be the right time for her. I think a lot of that is obviously in the late spotting of the place, I think there’s a bit of a change in the surface from grass and clay and firmness. Everyone is aware of her history and the double wrist surgery last year and that puts even more pressure on her.”
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