Why Is Shelton Skipping The Olympics?

Better_Call_Raul

Hall of Fame
It is a bad decision. A once in a lifetime opportunity to medal for America.

Somebody talk some sense into this guy.
:unsure:

All athletes would like to participate in the Olympic Games at least once, but this is not the case for all tennis players, as also revealed by US rising star Ben Shelton.

"I've thought about it a lot. At the moment I can say that I'm quite inclined not to go this year, in case I qualify. I think they fit into the tennis schedule in a complicated way."
 
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Tano

Hall of Fame
It is a bad decision. A once in a lifetime opportunity to medal for America.

Somebody talk some sense into this guy.
:unsure:

All athletes would like to participate in the Olympic Games at least once, but this is not the case for all tennis players, as also revealed by US rising star Ben Shelton.

"I've thought about it a lot. At the moment I can say that I'm quite inclined not to go this year, in case I qualify. I think they fit into the tennis schedule in a complicated way."
He will play for a medal for his country at the 2028 LA Olympic Games.
 

dkmura

Professional
I would think that most people would jump at the opportunity to be at the Olympics, but maybe I'm the outlier.
Ben Shelton is hardly "most people" and as a WC contender, his overall health and career must take priority. The Olympics are at Roland Garros this year, and he'll have better chances in the future. 2024 might be the year to take a break before the USO and be well-prepared to finish the season strong.
 

The Blond Blur

G.O.A.T.
The utter disrespect to the ATP Houston champion.
arodpissed.jpeg
 

MeatTornado

Talk Tennis Guru
Proving that Olympics aren't on the level of the big tour titles in the players' eyes
It doesn't prove anything because all the players are different. That's why it's a constant debate.

For every Shelton there's also a Delpo who says he values his Bronze medal more than his USO trophy. For every Thiem that would rather play Kitzbuhel, there's an Alcaraz saying he'd rather win Gold than win Wimbledon.
 

Terenigma

G.O.A.T.
It doesn't prove anything because all the players are different. That's why it's a constant debate.

For every Shelton there's also a Delpo who says he values his Bronze medal more than his USO trophy. For every Thiem that would rather play Kitzbuhel, there's an Alcaraz saying he'd rather win Gold than win Wimbledon.

Exactly this. Not that either attitude is "wrong" but it doesn't take away from the Olympics that some players don't view it as high value when there is many high profile named players that do. I still think the Olympics is great and has produced some significantly great matches over the years and I'm looking forward to it again this year!
 

GAS

Hall of Fame
It is a bad decision. A once in a lifetime opportunity to medal for America.

Somebody talk some sense into this guy.
:unsure:

All athletes would like to participate in the Olympic Games at least once, but this is not the case for all tennis players, as also revealed by US rising star Ben Shelton.

"I've thought about it a lot. At the moment I can say that I'm quite inclined not to go this year, in case I qualify. I think they fit into the tennis schedule in a complicated way."

Raul_SJ pretending to be an American again...
 

LOBALOT

Legend
I am old and new to this whole olympics thing but doesn't each country have a set number of spots or some sort of qualification mechanism?

If so maybe Ben realizes he is third in line and doesn't qualify.
 

BeatlesFan

Bionic Poster
I would think that most people would jump at the opportunity to be at the Olympics, but maybe I'm the outlier.
The Olympics is a much bigger deal for small countries. If Djokovic won a gold medal for Serbia it would be huge. If Shelton won a tennis OGM it wouldn't even make a ripple in American news, nobody cares.

At the 2020 summer Olympics, the US won 113 medals, Serbia won 9, Spain won 0. That puts it into perspective.

Olympics for Americans is really just track and field and swimming. Olympics tennis is a joke to Americans, it wasn't even televised in 2016 or 2020.
 
D

Deleted member 758560

Guest
looks strange that spain didnt win any medal at olympics 2020, looked it up specially for this case and yes indeed they won 17 medals, its spain after all not honduras
 

fedfan24

Hall of Fame
he’s got almost 0 chance of winning a medal on clay, but would’ve thought he’d take the chance to compete there seeing as it’s once every 4 years.
 

Better_Call_Raul

Hall of Fame
I am old and new to this whole olympics thing but doesn't each country have a set number of spots or some sort of qualification mechanism?

If so maybe Ben realizes he is third in line and doesn't qualify.

Each country can send up to four players and his high ranking easily qualifies.
He is hesitating because he absolutely sucks on clay (FAA destroyed him in Paris).
The Paris Olympics is only a week. This lazy clown needs to show up and play for his country.
Compare and contrast with Spain's Martinez who is extremely upset at being bumped off the team by the lower ranked Rafa.

A 21 year-old is not capable of playing a couple of doubles matches? Please. It is inexcusable.

"I've thought about it a lot. At the moment I can say that I'm quite inclined not to go this year, in case I qualify. I think they fit into the tennis schedule in a complicated way."

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he’s got almost 0 chance of winning a medal on clay, but would’ve thought he’d take the chance to compete there seeing as it’s once every 4 years.

With that serve, he is a doubles threat on any surface.
 
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Topspin_80

Hall of Fame
The Olympics is a much bigger deal for small countries. If Djokovic won a gold medal for Serbia it would be huge. If Shelton won a tennis OGM it wouldn't even make a ripple in American news, nobody cares.

At the 2020 summer Olympics, the US won 113 medals, Serbia won 9, Spain won 0. That puts it into perspective.

Olympics for Americans is really just track and field and swimming. Olympics tennis is a joke to Americans, it wasn't even televised in 2016 or 2020.
That 0 somehow didn't look right, so I did a search, and Spain won 17 medals.

 

GoatNo1

Hall of Fame
It doesn't prove anything because all the players are different. That's why it's a constant debate.

For every Shelton there's also a Delpo who says he values his Bronze medal more than his USO trophy. For every Thiem that would rather play Kitzbuhel, there's an Alcaraz saying he'd rather win Gold than win Wimbledon.
you are probably right. but that doesn't change the fact that more than half of the top players are usually missing at OG, while the vast majority of top players are present at masters, WTF and slams. there are no monetary prizes, no points, they are not mandatory, they have no tradition. I know that they mean a lot to some like nole f ex, but to many they don't.
 

GoatNo1

Hall of Fame
The Olympics is a much bigger deal for small countries. If Djokovic won a gold medal for Serbia it would be huge. If Shelton won a tennis OGM it wouldn't even make a ripple in American news, nobody cares.

At the 2020 summer Olympics, the US won 113 medals, Serbia won 9, Spain won 0. That puts it into perspective.

Olympics for Americans is really just track and field and swimming. Olympics tennis is a joke to Americans, it wasn't even televised in 2016 or 2020.
spain won 17,great sport nation, good in so many most popular sports
 

MeatTornado

Talk Tennis Guru
you are probably right. but that doesn't change the fact that more than half of the top players are usually missing at OG, while the vast majority of top players are present at masters, WTF and slams. there are no monetary prizes, no points, they are not mandatory, they have no tradition. I know that they mean a lot to some like nole f ex, but to many they don't.
How are you defining top players? Top 10? Top 100? Because if it's the later, that's also because the qualifications are different. There are quotas that will keep some of them out if there are too many from one nation.
 
It is a bad decision. A once in a lifetime opportunity to medal for America.

Somebody talk some sense into this guy.
:unsure:

All athletes would like to participate in the Olympic Games at least once, but this is not the case for all tennis players, as also revealed by US rising star Ben Shelton.

"I've thought about it a lot. At the moment I can say that I'm quite inclined not to go this year, in case I qualify. I think they fit into the tennis schedule in a complicated way."
It’s just not that big of a deal in the United States. Just about every other country is more patriotic when it comes to international sports competitions. Medaling in tennis for an American athlete would mean just about nothing to anyone here in the US. The same goes for basically every sport.
The Olympics is a much bigger deal for small countries. If Djokovic won a gold medal for Serbia it would be huge. If Shelton won a tennis OGM it wouldn't even make a ripple in American news, nobody cares.

At the 2020 summer Olympics, the US won 113 medals, Serbia won 9, Spain won 0. That puts it into perspective.

Olympics for Americans is really just track and field and swimming. Olympics tennis is a joke to Americans, it wasn't even televised in 2016 or 2020.
^^This. Even in these other sports and maybe basketball, people might care in the moment but overall, people would forget the next day. I know people who are fans of basketball teams with international stars and they said they wouldn’t care if those countries
neat the U.S., while others to,d me they would outright root for those other countries. Someone medaling from like India or Egypt or Slovenia would make them a national celebrity. In the U.S., nobody would care at all.
 
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MeatTornado

Talk Tennis Guru
Olympics for Americans is really just track and field and swimming. Olympics tennis is a joke to Americans, it wasn't even televised in 2016 or 2020.
It was absolutely televised. It just wasn't on NBC primetime. But most Olympic sports aren't. There's usually like 4-5 channels all going at once with Olympic content.
 
Probably feels he has no chance on clay, so he figures he'll try to vulture some easy points in America (God knows he needs them...) while all the top guys are still grappling with the European clay.
 

GoatNo1

Hall of Fame
How are you defining top players? Top 10? Top 100? Because if it's the later, that's also because the qualifications are different. There are quotas that will keep some of them out if there are too many from one nation.
In 2 latest OG was missing 5 out of top 10, 10 of top 20 and 16 of top 30. Back in time was even more. And probably if you go to top 100 bc of that what you wrote.
 

MeatTornado

Talk Tennis Guru
In 2 latest OG was missing 5 out of top 10, 10 of top 20 and 16 of top 30. Back in time was even more. And probably if you go to top 100 bc of that what you wrote.
Doing some research, the majority of them from the last 2 events were because of injuries or because of health/safety issues around the events. And even most of them that pulled out said something about really hoping to play 4 years later. There's only a few outliers that say they straight up don't care.
2020
3 Nadal (foot injury)
6 Thiem
8 Berrettini (thigh injured)
9 Federer (knee injury)
10 Shapovalov (COVID concerns)
14 Ruud
16 Bautista Agut
17 de Minaur (COVID positive)
19 Garin (COVID concerns)
20 Goffin (ankle injury)

2016
3 Federer (knee injury)
4 Wawrinka (back injury)
7 Raonic (Zika concerns)
8 Berdych (Zika concerns)
10 Thiem
15 Gasquet (back injury)
16 Isner
18 Krygios (beef)
19 Lopez
20 Tomic
 

GoatNo1

Hall of Fame
Doing some research, the majority of them from the last 2 events were because of injuries or because of health/safety issues around the events. And even most of them that pulled out said something about really hoping to play 4 years later. There's only a few outliers that say they straight up don't care.
2020
3 Nadal (foot injury)
6 Thiem
8 Berrettini (thigh injured)
9 Federer (knee injury)
10 Shapovalov (COVID concerns)
14 Ruud
16 Bautista Agut
17 de Minaur (COVID positive)
19 Garin (COVID concerns)
20 Goffin (ankle injury)

2016
3 Federer (knee injury)
4 Wawrinka (back injury)
7 Raonic (Zika concerns)
8 Berdych (Zika concerns)
10 Thiem
15 Gasquet (back injury)
16 Isner
18 Krygios (beef)
19 Lopez
20 Tomic
It does not matters what they said. All of them do their own schedulles there they plan their priorities. And the fact is that in slams, WTFs and masters are not much top players who do not play even if it is always some who is injured. The half of top10 and top20 and more than half top30 players is pretty big deal. And it is not just one OG. It is all of them. We will see how many top players will play or not play this year.
 
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Topspin_80

Hall of Fame
In terms of competing for tennis medals, there is no great disparity between US and other countries..
Not at all. The field is absolutely wide open. Any country can medal. Spain, Russia, USA, Australia, Italy, Serbia, China, Japan etc.
Excitement!
That's right.

For instance a small country like Serbia, or Switzerland, have medal at some Olympics more tennis medals than
bigger countries like USA, Russia, China.
 

MeatTornado

Talk Tennis Guru
It does not matters what they said. All of them do their own schedulles there they plan their priorities. And the fact is that in slams, WTFs and masters are not much top players who do not play even if it is always some who is injured. The half of top10 and top20 and more than half top30 players is pretty big deal. And it is not just one OG. It is all of them. We will see how many top players will play or not play this year.
You think they should skip Wimbledon to make sure they don't get hurt before the Olympics?
 

Subway Tennis

G.O.A.T.
and his GF is in the Olympics.

I guess he figured out:
- Euro clay is a lot harder than American har-tru.
- there's at least 5 clay court players that are levels above him.
He shines on US hard courts.
Who is Ben Shelton’s girlfriend? Is she in the US swim team?
 

a10best

Legend
Who is Ben Shelton’s girlfriend? Is she in the US swim team?
Anna Hall - Track & Field; Heptahlon. She's also a FL Gator.

"Should she qualify at the end of June, Paris will be Anna Hall’s first Olympic competition. Though she participated in the Olympic Trials for the Tokyo Olympics, Hall crashed out in the 100m hurdles race, breaking her foot in the process, which forced her to withdraw from the competition after one event."
source - NBCOlympics.com
 

heavyD

Professional
The Olympics is on the decline. TV ratings continue to plummet as it's losing relevance to incoming generations who have view it as highly corrupt, wildly expensive, and simply not interesting enough to get them off their cell phones. It's really a shame for all the amateur athletes that commit so much of their lives preparing for them as they are the ones that have paid the price for all the corruption and mismanagement.
 

pedro94

Semi-Pro
Once in a lifetime for a 21 year old?
Of course.. Transwomen are getting ready to take over the men's sports, including tennis, in the next couple of years. Didn't you hear? Women are just as capable and strong as men. So there won't be any men's olympic tennis for Shelton to participate in.
 

Subway Tennis

G.O.A.T.
Anna Hall - Track & Field; Heptahlon. She's also a FL Gator.

"Should she qualify at the end of June, Paris will be Anna Hall’s first Olympic competition. Though she participated in the Olympic Trials for the Tokyo Olympics, Hall crashed out in the 100m hurdles race, breaking her foot in the process, which forced her to withdraw from the competition after one event."
source - NBCOlympics.com
Thanks for posting this. Kind of a cool interesting additional storyline to follow during the event.
 
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