He dropped just one game in a 53-minute thrashing and later hit out at the ITF and IOC. “I don’t think it’s a good image for the sport, to be honest. There were a lot of singles players that had plenty of time, that were alternates, that could’ve been called to come,” he explained.

“So this part I don’t get, I really hope the ITF along with the Olympics will consider changing this rule because it’s tough on Matthew because, he hasn’t played I guess a singles practice in two years. He told me it’s been over two years [since] he played a singles match, this was his last singles match.”

If a player takes themself out of the singles draw after July 19, they can only be replaced by a doubles athlete who has already been called up to represent their nation at the Olympics.