Djokovic opens against Bolivia's Hugo Dellien, ranked 139th in the world. But then he could face Italian Lorenzo Musetti in the third round, World No 7 Rublev of Russia in the quarterfinals and the fifth-ranked Zverev of Germany in the semifinals.
* Kenyan 10,000 metres runner and 2019 New York Marathon winner Geoffrey Kamworor has pulled out of the Tokyo Olympics due to an ankle injury. The injury comes after the three times world Half Marathon champion was hit by a motorcycle while training near his home in June last year, suffering a fractured tibia.
* Mountain bike medal prospect Mathieu van der Poel has departed for the Tokyo Olympics only four days before Monday’s race, confident it is all the time he needs to be ready. Van der Poel led the Tour de France for six days on his debut but quit ahead of the ninth stage, saying he wanted to focus on the Olympics.
* Guinea's five athletes will participate in the Tokyo Olympics after all, a statement from the West African nation's sport ministry said on Thursday (Jul 22), reversing the previous day's decision to suspend its participation in the Games citing the pandemic.
* Czech cyclist Michal Schlegel has tested positive for COVID-19, the fourth athlete on the central European nation's Olympic team to do so, it said on Thursday. So far, six team members, including four athletes, have tested positive for COVID-19.
* Five South Africa rugby sevens players who were close contacts of coach Neil Powell will not stay in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Village, officials said on Thursday.
* France's Olympic men's soccer campaign got off to a dreadful start when they were thrashed 4-1 by Mexico while Argentina suffered a shock 2-0 loss to Australia as the group stage kicked off on Thursday.
* Brazil striker Richarlison scored the first hat-trick of the men's tournament as the defending champions held off a late rally from Germany in a 4-2 win at Yokohama's International Stadium.
* Hosts Japan made a winning start courtesy of a late strike from midfielder Takefusa Kubo in a 1-0 victory over South Africa, who were dealing with COVID-19 cases on the eve of the Group A match.
* Spain, the last European men's team to claim gold in 1992, also stuttered in their opening match as they dominated possession but created few opportunities in a goalless stalemate with Egypt in Sapporo.
* In Group D, Franck Kessie scored the winner to earn Ivory Coast a 2-1 win over Saudi Arabia in a heated game in Yokohama, the sides committing 27 fouls between them.
* In Group B, Burnley striker Chris Wood fired a late goal to help New Zealand beat the Republic of Korea 1-0 in Kashima - earning the Kiwis their first win in Olympic men's soccer. Making their first soccer appearance since the 1964 Tokyo Games, Romania beat Honduras 1-0 thanks to an Elvin Oliva own goal.
* Stanislav Pozdnyakov, the head of Russia's Olympic Committee, beamed with pride as he posed alongside his daughter Sofia, a fencer who has arrived in Tokyo to continue the family's Olympic traditions. Pozdnyakov, a five-time Olympic medallist in fencing, won the title in the sabre individual event at the 1996 Atlanta Games, a feat his daughter is seeking to match 25 years later.
* Five-times Olympic champion Katie Ledecky is focused and improving fast in the run-up to the Tokyo Games, her coach said on Thursday, as she embarks on a gruelling quest for five gold medals to cement her place in swimming history.
* Brazilian weightlifter Natasha Rosa Figueiredo was cleared on Thursday to compete at the Tokyo Olympics after having served a suspension following a minor anti-doping rule violation, the Court of Arbitration for Sport said. The 25-year-old Brazilian, who is due to compete on Saturday in the 49kg category, had tested positive twice this year for a banned substance.
* Dutch Olympic Taekwondo competitor Reshmie Oogink has tested positive for COVID-19 ahead of the Tokyo Olympics, as has a member of the team staff, the team said on Thursday.
* US first lady Jill Biden landed on Thursday in Japan, where she is leading the United States' diplomatic delegation to the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
* World number one Kaylee McKeown of Australia will be withdrawing from the women's 200 metres medley at this week's Olympic Games to focus on her backstroke events, the national team coach said on Thursday.
* Empty stands and a year-long wait for the Tokyo Games have done little to dampen enthusiasm among America's top track and field athletes, who told reporters on Thursday they were adapting to the challenges of competing amid the pandemic.
