Rafael Nadal Blasts "Outrageous" Olympics Schedule

Rafael Nadal voiced his displeasure with the Olympics' scheduling.

Rafael Nadal is upset with the Olympics schedule. / Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports

The 2024 Summer Olympics is off to a rocky start for tennis players. Weather wreaked havoc on the clay courts of Roland Garros, forcing officials to reschedule and postpone matches throughout the day.

One of the highlights from the first day of action was Carlos Alcaraz and Rafael Nadal teaming up to represent Spain in men's doubles. The dynamic duo defeated Argentina's Máximo González and Andrés Molteni in straight sets: 7-6(7-4) 6-4.

Unfortunately, the historic moment was quickly overshadowed by more scheduling drama. Nadal called the Olympic singles schedule for Sunday "outrageous" and is uncertain whether he will play following his doubles victory on Saturday.

Nadal said, "At 2:00 p.m., I'm playing? I don't understand. It's 10:00 p.m. at night right now. It is outrageous to me…"

Rafa Nadal is not happy with the scheduling for tomorrow at the Olympics:

"At 2:00 p.m. I'm playing? I don't understand, it's 10:00 p.m. at night right now. It is outrageous to me…”

pic.twitter.com/kSVvg0uXah

— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) July 27, 2024

Nadal suffered an injury "setback" earlier this week, which cast doubt on his ability to play in the Olympics at all. The 38-year-old played with a wrap around his thigh on Saturday.

Of course, fans want to see Nadal play Djokovic in the second round of men's singles. Even Djokovic wants the two rivals to have a "last dance" in Paris.

Nadal is scheduled to play Márton Fucsovics in the first round tomorrow. Tennis fans can follow Sports Illustrated's Serve on SI for all the most important news from the sport and beyond.

Further Reading: Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz, and Taylor Fritz cruised through the first round of the Olympics.