If there is an evident dividend from the Rio Olympic Games, it shines on the faces of those who chose to go and they might yet profit further from the most uplifting experience of their careers at this US Open.
That is how Kyle Edmund views it before his first-round match on Tuesday against the Frenchman Richard Gasquet, who missed the Games in Brazil with a back injury.
“When I found out that I was in on my ranking after people pulled out, I was over the moon,” Edmund said. “I see the Olympics as really the pinnacle of sport. I really enjoyed it, being inside the village, meeting other athletes. We were across the hall from the golfers, who were staying [in the same apartment block]. We chatted to the boxing people, the rugby people. Throughout the year you’re surrounded just by the tennis players, so it was nice to meet Justin Rose and Danny Willett, because they’re two major champions.
“When you’re away from the courts, at the village, that’s where you really felt the Olympic atmosphere. And the opening ceremony was something I was pleased I did. I wasn’t going to go to it but then I thought I’d regret it.”
Andy Murray, who carried the flag for the Great Britain team, cashed in on the spirit there with a second gold and said later: “I need to try and keep that [momentum] going and the US Open is always the next big goal.”
He will be as tired as anyone at the last major championship of the season, probably more so than many, given he has played in all three finals and reaches the concluding weekend of nearly every tournament in which he plays.
They are all suffering a little, though, as Edmund pointed out: “It’s the same for everybody. The tennis year is a long year. It feels longer because the back end of last year stretched out with the Davis Cup final.”
Heather Watson, who dipped out in the Olympic singles and doubles with Johanna Konta, had a last-minute reprieve in the mixed doubles with Murray, a memory that will stay with her. “I had my bags packed [watching Murray in the singles] and was going to leave for the airport in 15 minutes, then a team dropped out. I had no idea until 30 minutes before we went on court. It was so close. It was a tough situation. I didn’t even see Andy until we walked on court.”
The former British No1, who plays the Dutch qualifier Richèl Hogenkamp on Tuesday, said: “I loved it, glad I went to the opening ceremony.”
Konta became genuinely animated recalling her Olympic experience. “Justin [Rose] said to me: ‘You’ve been having such a good year,’ and I thought: “My God, he knows who I am!’ I had a couple of those moments, surprised that people know the sport I play to begin with. I was definitely one of the more social ones. We were sitting with the boxers, the rugby players, with the hockey players. I’m glad I did. I wanted to understand boxing better. We had the British School set up for us. Team GB were so well kitted, we looked so good. I thought we were the best put together. It made me very proud. I hadn’t been in a uniform for a long time.”
For Murray and his brother Jamie, Dominic Inglot, Konta, Edmund and Watson there was never any question of joining the dissenters. For Dan Evans it was slightly different. He could have gone as a late replacement but chose not to, as he explained while preparing for his opener against Rajeev Ram on Tuesday.
Did he regret not going? “Not one bit,” he said, without hesitation. “I don’t think I could have won more than one match there, or two matches, so it was a pointless exercise for me. I like playing for my country but, if I’d done the Olympics and then was around 140 in the rankings next year, I would have been kicking myself. That was the only reason. I just needed to play matches.
“I pulled out of Team Tennis in this country as well to play the tournaments. It was a good chance to make some points and I did in the end. The Olympics is obviously an amazing spectacle but it was one of them I just had to watch on TV. I watched some of Andy’s matches, some of the other events, but not massively.”
