Djokovic snubs Olympic Village as Nadal and Alcaraz show true colours | Tennis | Sport
Novak Djokovic has decided to snub staying in the Olympic Village during the Paris 2024 Games, Serbian team officials have confirmed.
The tennis icon has booked himself into his own accommodation to give him some privacy while competing for the gold medal in the Olympic tennis tournament and therefore won’t be staying with thousands of other athletes and sports stars.
The 37-year-old, who won his sole Olympic medal at Beijing in 2008 by securing bronze for Serbia, will be desperate to claim his maiden gold in what could be his final Olympics.
Djokovic is giving the tournament his full focus as he goes out to win following his straight sets defeat in the Wimbledon final, and that means staying out of the Olympic Village.
“We expect Novak to arrive within the next few days, although he will not be staying with us in the Village,” an organising member of the Serbian team told Clay Tenis.
The Balkan team of 112 athletes have taken up floors of one of the buildings in the citadel located in the northern suburb of Saint Denis, which is around 10 miles away from the Roland Garros site.
It marks a surprising change in approach from Djokovic, as the 24-time Grand Slam winner chose to immerse himself in the Olympic Village culture in the delayed Tokyo 2020 games three years ago.
“I’m enjoying every second, in a place with more than 10,000 athletes, exchanging knowledge, life stories and things about sports. You don’t get that kind of experience anywhere else,” Djokovic said in 2021.
It is possible that Djokovic has chosen to stay with his family for the duration of the tournament. His wife Jelena and children Stefan, 9, and Tara, 6, were recently seen watching his matches at Wimbledon and the family of four tend to travel together.
While Djokovic has taken himself out of the limelight, Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz have been basking in it. The Spanish pair will compete in the doubles together as they push to win a medal in Nadal’s last Games appearance.
It’s yet to be determined if they are staying in the Olympic Village, but Nadal and Alcaraz have received hundreds of photo requests from athletes in the food hall – and the Spaniards have been more than happy to oblige.
Badminton stars, table tennis players and fellow tennis competitors requested selfies with Nadal and the 22-time Major champion happily posed for photos.
“Archery is a minority sport and taking a photo with Alcaraz and especially with Nadal made me very excited,” Spanish archer Pablo Acha told Spanish outlet AS. “He is my role model and it is a dream to be able to be with them.”
