"How does a seasoned athlete not expect this?";"Excuses coming in hot" - Fans vexed by Rafael Nadal's complaints about "outrageous" Olympics schedule

Rafael Nadal has expressed his frustration with the scheduling at the 2024 Paris Olympics, casting doubt on his participation in the men's singles event. However, tennis fans haven't taken kindly to the Spaniard's complaints about the schedule.

Nadal has set ambitious goals for himself in his final Olympics campaign, seeking to clinch his second men's singles gold as well as second gold medal in men's doubles.

The 22-time Grand Slam champion has joined forces with Carlos Alcaraz in Paris, with their partnership getting off to a promising start with a 7-6(4), 6-4 win over the sixth-seeded Argentine pair of Maximo Gonzalez and Andres Molteni on Saturday, July 27, night.

Meanwhile, the 38-year-old's opening singles match against Hungary's Marton Fucsovics is scheduled for Sunday at 2 pm on Court Philippe-Chatrier at Roland Garros.

However, Rafael Nadal expressed dissatisfaction with the early slot for the match and revealed his uncertainty about competing in the singles event. He disclosed his intention to make a decision about his participation after consulting with his team.

"I don't know if I'll play tomorrow, I have to evaluate it with my team. Sometimes less is more," Nadal said.

Speaking to Carrusel Deportivo after his doubles win, the former World No. 1 lashed out at the "outrageous" schedule, questioning the timing of his clash with Fucsovics.

"Do I play at 2:00 p.m.? I don't understand the schedule, it seems outrageous to me when I'm playing tomorrow at two o'clock. I don't know, I'll have to go back to the village and talk to the team, I'll make the decision that I think is most appropriate to have a chance of getting results for Spain," he said.

Tennis fans were taken aback by Rafael Nadal's criticism of the schedule, with many asserting that the Spaniard should have prepared himself for a packed schedule when he entered both singles and doubles.

"I feel like this is a strange thing for Rafa to say so not sure if lost in translation or what. Of course he knows in a bit over a week of tennis playing singles and doubles would not be an easy schedule. So I can't see why 2pm tomorrow could be outrageous tbh," one fan commented.

"Sorry, but not outrageous. How does a very seasoned experienced athlete like Nadal not expect this kind of schedule when enrolled in both singles and doubles for a tournament?" another fan wrote.

"Imagine taking one of your country's olympic spots from a healthy player without doing 30 minutes of research about the format and schedule beforehand," said another.

Fans also argued that the 38-year-old had already benefited from favorable scheduling, as he didn't have to play both his singles and doubles matches on the same day, unlike his doubles partner Carlos Alcaraz.

"Outrageous ? I'm sorry and no offense, but he made the decision to play singles and doubles. Besides he should be happy for playing his match today. Most of doubles games are not scheduled under a roof. He could have played both matchs tomorrow or today like Alcaraz did," one fan shared.

"Exactly, his doubles partner just played 2 matches in the same day, did he not know that? I'm fairly sure if you play in both singles and doubles at any event you have to play back-to-back days at a minimum," another fan chimed in.

Given that Nadal will face Novak Djokovic in the second round if he beats Fucsovics, many fans also claimed that the 22-time Grand Slam champion is simply preparing his excuses to "dodge" the clash with the Serb.

"The excuses are coming in hot from the oven," one fan posted.

"Already got the excuses lined up for when he dodges the GOAT," another fan wrote.

"Looks like Rafa's already made a decision to pull out and this is him laying the groundwork. The prospect of getting rolled on Chatrier by Novak of all people doesn't look very appealing," a fan contended.

"Look who’s running away from the challenge to put up excuses like “I’m not sure if’ll play” lol," said yet another.

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Rafael Nadal's Paris Olympics 1R opponent Marton Fucsovics backs himself to "surprise" Spaniard in opening clash

Rafael Nadal (Source: Getty)

If Rafael Nadal decides to take part in the men's singles event at the 2024 Paris Olympics, he will face a determined Marton Fucsovics in the opening round. Speaking to the press ahead of the encounter, the Hungarian admitted that he had "mixed emotions" about the clash with a formidable opponent like Nadal.

However, despite the daunting prospect of facing the 14-time French Open champion at Roland Garros, Fucsovics expressed confidence in his ability to "surprise" the 38-year-old.

"Mixed emotions.. not happy because it's a tough opponent, but happy because I've never played Rafa before., special occasion..could be the last chance..with good play, I can surprise him," Fucsovics told the press.

Nadal faces a challenging draw in his quest for a second Olympic gold medal in singles. Following a potential second-round clash with Novak Djokovic, the Spaniard will likely have to contend with Arthur Fils and Stefanos Tsitsipas to reach the semi-finals.