Aryna Sabalenka, Elena Rybakina, and other players are criticizing the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic tennis schedule for starting just three days after Wimbledon.
Key facts
- •The 2028 Los Angeles Olympic tennis event is scheduled for July 19 to July 28.
- •The Wimbledon 2028 men’s final is set for July 16, creating a three-day gap between the events.
- •The 2024 Paris Olympics began 13 days after the conclusion of Wimbledon.
- •Players highlighted the physical stress of changing surfaces from grass to hard courts while traveling between continents.
- •Iga Swiatek stated that she has been raising concerns about the demanding nature of the tennis schedule for years.
Top tennis players, including Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina, are calling for adjustments to the 2028 tennis calendar. The LA28 Olympics are scheduled to begin on July 19, 2028, only three days after the Wimbledon men’s final on July 16. Players expressed concerns regarding the physical toll of traveling between continents and transitioning from grass to hard courts with minimal recovery time.
Player concerns over scheduling
Sabalenka described the three-day turnaround as "ridiculous" and suggested that at least a week of buffer time is necessary for an event as significant as the Olympics. Rybakina echoed these sentiments, labeling the current plan "crazy" and expressing hope that the dates could be adjusted to be more convenient for athletes. Daniil Medvedev and Iga Swiatek also weighed in on the issue. Medvedev suggested that even six or seven days would be an improvement, while Swiatek noted that this situation highlights long-standing concerns regarding player welfare and the overall intensity of the professional tennis schedule.
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This article was independently rewritten by ManyPress editorial AI from reporting originally published by Guardian Tennis.
