Elena Rybakina has called on tennis authorities to reconsider the 2028 Olympic schedule after it emerged that the Los Angeles Games tennis competition will start just three days after Wimbledon concludes, leaving top players with little time to travel and adjust from grass to hard courts.
LA28 organisers announced last month that Olympic tennis will run from 19 to 28 July 2028. With the Wimbledon 2028 men's final set for 16 July, players advancing deep into that tournament would have to cross continents and switch surfaces within days.
What did Rybakina say about the schedule?
Rybakina said she had not previously considered the tight turnaround but expressed hope that adjustments would be made before the Games.
It's 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.
How does this compare with previous Olympic scheduling?
The gap between Wimbledon and the Olympics has traditionally been far larger. The 2024 Paris Games began 13 days after Wimbledon ended, giving players substantially more time to travel and adapt. According to a tennis news outlet, Wimbledon 2028 is expected to run from 3 to 16 July, meaning players reaching the later rounds would face an almost immediate transition into Olympic competition. The full Games are scheduled for 14 to 30 July 2028, with the opening ceremony falling on 14 July while Wimbledon is still being played, according to a report on the LA28 dates.
What has Daniil Medvedev said about the calendar clash?
Medvedev, who said he had not previously realised how tight the turnaround would be, called for changes to create more breathing room between the two events.
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.
What are the specifics of the LA28 tennis schedule?
According to a report from a tennis publication, the Olympic tennis event will be staged at Carson Courts in Los Angeles and will run for ten days. Mixed doubles will begin the competition on 19 July, with singles matches starting the following day, while the women's singles final is set for 27 July and the men's singles final for 28 July. Doubles events are reported to begin after the singles competition gets underway and continue throughout the tournament window.
This tightly packed Olympic build-up follows an eventful year for elite tennis. Rybakina herself is coming off a season in which she won the 2025 WTA Finals singles title, an event that has since relocated to Indian Wells after the WTA ended its Saudi Arabia hosting deal early amid geopolitical tensions.
What happens next?
The published LA28 schedule remains subject to change ahead of the Games, according to Spanish-language coverage of the calendar dispute. For now, the next fixed point on the calendar is the scheduled start of Olympic tennis on 19 July 2028, according to reporting on the confirmed dates, with the women's singles final set for 27 July and the men's singles final for 28 July, per the tennis publication's schedule breakdown.
Key Facts
- LA28 Olympic tennis is scheduled for 19–28 July 2028 at Carson Courts in Los Angeles.
- Wimbledon 2028's men's final is set for 16 July, just three days before the Olympic event begins.
- Paris 2024 offered a 13-day gap between Wimbledon and the Olympics, far longer than the 2028 turnaround.
- The women's singles final is scheduled for 27 July 2028 and the men's final for 28 July 2028.
- The published schedule remains subject to potential revision before the Games.
