Tokyo 2020 Olympics organizers made a sudden unexplained announcement to move Naomi Osaka‘s first-round match from Saturday to Sunday. It is assumed that the reason for rescheduling is the fact that the Japanese will have a significant role in Friday night’s opening ceremony, so the organizers delayed her opener to give her more time to rest.
The four-time Grand Slam champion Osaka was supposed to make her Olympic debut on center court at Ariake Tennis Park on Saturday morning. Even though the organizers did not immediately provide a reason for the delay, they did note that the switch came from the tournament referee.