Japan’s top-ranked women’s tennis player doesn’t plan on sticking around seven more years for the Tokyo Olympics.
Kimiko Date-Krumm was an Olympian in 1992 and 1996, retired for 12 years, came back and is now ranked No. 60. The oldest player in the top 100, she has been lauded for her consistency at such an advanced age.
Date-Krumm dismissed the notion she could become the oldest Olympic tennis player ever, according to sports-reference.com.
“Eh? I’ll be 50. Fifty!” Date-Krumm told Agence France-Presse. “I’m not (Martina) Navratilova.”
Date-Krumm will be older in 2020 than Navratilova was in her only Olympic appearance, 47 in 2004.
“You’re asking if there’s a one percent chance?” Date-Krumm said. “Well probably it’s 99.9999 percent I won’t, but I suppose you never say never 100 percent. It’s almost impossible, though I’d like to be involved in some capacity and support the next generation of players coming through.”
