'So much to think about' - Serena Williams, Naomi Osaka unsure about playing at Tokyo Olympic Games
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Updated 10/05/2021 at 17:31 GMT
The Tokyo Olympics is set to go ahead this summer after being postponed last year, but Serena Williams and Naomi Osaka have both expressed doubts about the event. Williams, 39, says she needs to "figure out" her next moves while Osaka is unsure if the Games should go ahead in her home country of Japan during the Covid-19 pandemic.
'I need to figure out my next move' - Serena admits uncertainty about Tokyo games
Serena Williams is undecided about competing at the Tokyo Olympics this summer, saying there is "so much to think about".
The 39-year-old has won one singles and three doubles Olympic gold medals.
But, speaking ahead of her return to action at the Italian Open this week, she says she is not sure about spending so much time away from her three-year-old daughter, Olympia.
"I haven't spent 24 hours without her, so that kind of answers the question itself.
"I haven't really thought much about Tokyo, because it was supposed to be last year and now it's this year, and then there is this pandemic and there is so much to think about.
"Then there are the Grand Slams. It's just a lot. So I have really been taking it one day at a time to a fault, and I definitely need to figure out my next moves."
While Williams has been to several Olympic Games, Naomi Osaka would be making her debut in Tokyo.
However, the Japanese world No 2 has expressed concern about the event going ahead during the Covid-19 pandemic.
"I'm an athlete, and of course my immediate thought is that I want to play in the Olympics," she said.
"But as a human, I would say we're in a pandemic, and if people aren't healthy, and if they're not feeling safe, then it's definitely a really big cause for concern."
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Asked by the BBC if it would be appropriate to stage the Games this summer, she said: "To be honest, I'm not really sure."
The Olympics will take place without any international fans and it has not yet been confirmed if fans from Japan will be able to attend.
"I've never played an Olympic event, so it's not like I would have anything to compare it to,” added Osaka.
“I would feel, of course, definitely a bit sad, but at the end of the day, it's an honour to play in the Olympics in the first place and if that's what keeps people healthy, then I'm up for [playing behind closed doors]."
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