Elena Rybakina urges calendar change after LA28 tennis set to start three days after Wimbledon

Elena Rybakina urged tennis authorities to consider altering the 2028 calendar after organisers announced last month that the Los Angeles Olympic tennis tournament will be held from 19 to 28 July, beginning three days after Wimbledon’s men’s final on 16 July.

She warned the timing would leave players little time to travel between continents and to adapt from grass to hard courts, and said she hopes governing bodies will seek adjustments to make the schedule more convenient for players.

The LA28 dates were announced last month and place the Olympic tournament between Wimbledon and the North American hard-court swing, creating a much tighter turnaround than at Paris 2024, when the Games began 13 days after the end of Wimbledon.

Rybakina said: “I honestly didn’t think about it. It’s just crazy to know that it’s just a couple of days after Wimbledon, but I think this year the dates were moved at the beginning of the year, so who knows? Hopefully something will change for next year so it’s more convenient for everybody.”

Daniil Medvedev said he was not aware of the tight turnaround and urged changes to the timetable, commenting: “Wow, I didn’t know this. Well, To be honest with you, now that I hear this, it would be great if something can be done. You tell me three days, make it at least six. I don’t know, even six is not good.But like make it at least six, seven, try to do something. Look, I always said since the first Olympics I played, I love it. We’re also talking like final of Wimbledon, so you never know how it goes. “But if you ask me now, I want to play both and I’m probably going to play both. Hopefully I can play good in both of them, but you never know. Someone can do something to make a bit of a gap, either Wimbledon one week before, change the calendar a bit, or the Olympics. That would be good for everyone because you want to see the best players in most tournaments.”

Both players voiced a preference for increased spacing between the events: Rybakina expressed hope that “something will change for next year” and Medvedev suggested organisers “make it at least six, seven” days to allow top players the opportunity to compete at both Wimbledon and the Olympic tournament.