Stosur, Kyrgios among 11-player Australian Olympic team

–

When Nick Kyrgios talked about his schedule post Wimbledon in his pre-tournament press conference last weekend, there was no talk of Tokyo.

Just back on the circuit after more than four months away, the volatile Aussie was going to head to the Bahamas after Wimbledon. He was going to do the North American summer hard-court circuit,. And then, hopefully be picked to play Laver Cup in Boston in September.

Well, it turns out he’s going to make a little detour first.

The mixed-doubles team-up with Venus Williams, it turns out, wasn’t his only surprise.

Kyrgios was among 11 players named to Australia’s Olympic tennis team Tuesday – a team led by world No. 1 Ashleigh Barty.

And it will be the fifth Olympics for Samantha Stosur.

The 37-year-old has barely played this season, and is 0-5 in doubles in 2021. But her doubles ranking of No. 87 was good enough, along with her protected singles ranking of No. 97.

Women’s team led by Barty

Barty, Stosur and Ajla Tomljanovic will play singles.

Barty and Storm Sanders will play doubles, along with Stosur and Ellen Perez – who is having quite the month.

Not only did the 25-year-old lefty earned her way to her first Grand Slam singles main draw through the Roehampton qualifying last week, she’s also an Olympian for the first time.

The Australian Olympic Committee announced the selections Tuesday, Australia time.

Men’s squad led by de Minaur

Alex de Minaur, who is at a career high in singles of No. 15 after winning the Eastbourne grass-court event last week, will be joined in singles by John Millman, James Duckworth – and Kyrgios.

Millman will team up with Luke Saville in doubles, and John Peers and de Minaur will play together.

Kyrgios missed the Rio Olympics after a spat with the Australian authorities.

He said as early as Jan. 2020 that he intended to be in Tokyo. But that was before the pandemic, and his long extended break.

Whither the mixed?

With the mixed doubles draw being so small, the rankings needed to make the cut will once again be off the charts.

The only realistic possibility will be Barty and de Minaur

No Tokyo Olympics for Shapovalov, who’ll look to Paris in ’24

Rafael Nadal withdraws from Wimbledon, Olympics

No Tokyo Olympics for Serena Williams

About Post Author