The legendary British cyclist Mark Cavendish recently opened up on the brutal experience of living inside the Olympic Village despite Rafael Nadal's defensive claim on the topic.
This year's Olympics is most likely the last of Rafael Nadal's career, and it wasn't the most successful. The Spaniard is a two-time gold medalist (from Beijing and Rio) but could not finish off with a fairytale run.
Despite the 2024 Olympics tennis tournament being held at Stade Roland Garros, a venue that Nadal has dominated in the past, winning 14 French Opens, he was not favored to win this time because of his form and injury record.
The 38-year-old lost to his old rival Novak Djokovic in the second round in singles in what many believe was their "last dance". In doubles, the dream pairing of Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz fell just one round short of competing for a medal.
The Spanish duo lost to the American team of Austin Krajicek and Rajeev Ram in the quarterfinal. During his stay in Paris, Nadal opted to live in the Olympic Village together with many other athletes.
By his own admission, he wanted to live the "full experience" at the event, but it was a well-known fact that the conditions were hardly ideal. In fact, WTA star Coco Gauff shared footage of the crowded complex, which was constructed at an estimated $1.6 billion to house over 10,000 athletes.
Several American tennis players chose to explore alternative accommodation options. Some players, like Novak Djokovic, decided beforehand that he would be staying in a hotel with his family.
Cavendish wrote in a column for the Telegraph that there is a direct correlation between an Olympian's living conditions and their performance in the event. This underpins his point that Djokovic, not Nadal, won a gold medal.
The 39-year-old explained that for a monumental sporting event like the Olympics, which occurs once every four years, athletes needed to be in peak physical condition, have clarity of thought, and not necessarily worry over factors they can control, like food and accommodation.
"It probably sounds spoilt. And maybe it is. I’ve certainly stayed in worse places down the years, believe me! But these things matter when you have obsessed over every detail for four years of your life to prepare for something and there is so much on the line."
"Ultimately, I’m a huge fan of the Olympic village. My big fear, actually, is that it will gradually die out as sport becomes more and more professional. Increasingly, the big-name athletes, or even entire delegations, are giving it a swerve because you can control all the variables so much better if you stay offsite — nutrition, hygiene, rest and recovery etc."
"You can feel the tide turning. I saw Rafael Nadal defend his decision to stay in the village this year, arguing you “only get the full experience” if you fully immerse yourself. I agree with him. But it was perhaps noteworthy that it was Novak Djokovic, who chose to base himself offsite, who won men’s Olympic gold."
Nadal has since withdrawn from the entire summer hard-court swing of North America, including the upcoming US Open. He has indicated that he will play the Laver Cup in September.
He is expected to travel to Saudi Arabia in October to compete at the lucrative 6 Kings Slam exhibition tournament. However, his schedule for the remainder of the season and his future in the sport remain unclear.
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