Olympics LIVE: Sponsors react to Biles' exit

With truthful overmuch connected the enactment — the Golden Slam, the calendar-year Grand Slam, Olympic singles golden — it's been a enigma to galore wherefore Novak Djokovic entered the mixed doubles tourney astatine the Tokyo Olympics.

Why hazard wounded oregon getting fatigued due to the fact that of an lawsuit that doesn't person overmuch of a pursuing and mightiness distract from the much pressing goals wrong reach?

"I was against it. The full squad was against it," Viktor Troicki, Serbia's Olympic squad manager and Davis Cup captain, told The Associated Press successful an interrogation aft Djokovic reached the semifinals successful some singles and mixed connected Thursday. "It was conscionable him. He wanted to play."

So determination Djokovic was, partnering with Nina Stojanovic to bushed the German brace of Laura Siegemund and Kevin Krawietz 6-1, 6-2 successful a lucifer that started little than 2 hours aft helium routed Kei Nishikori of big Japan 6-2, 6-0 successful singles.

"I thought helium had capable of tennis the past months," Troicki said. "Really, helium played truthful much."

Djokovic, who has already won the Australian Open, French Open and Wimbledon this year, needs the Tokyo Games rubric and the U.S. Open trophy successful singles to go the archetypal antheral to execute the Golden Slam.

"Everyone was reasoning astir the singles," Troicki said. "When helium said helium wanted to play mixed, I was like, 'OK, (if) it means that overmuch to him and helium wants to beryllium that he's acceptable and successful the mixed matches he's giving everything, he's 100% focused connected going each the way, past OK.'

"He's looking for a harder challenge," Troicki added with a laugh.

Marian Vajda and Goran Ivanisevic, Djokovic's idiosyncratic coaches, didn't question to Tokyo. But Troicki has been talking to Ivanisevic.

"It's moving good truthful far," Troicki said. "I'm gladsome he's having abbreviated matches successful some events."

Djokovic hasn't mislaid a acceptable yet successful singles oregon mixed doubles.

But Djokovic could look his biggest trial of the Olympic tourney against fifth-ranked Alexander Zverev connected Friday — adjacent though Djokovic holds a 6-2 vocation borderline implicit the German and has not mislaid to Zverev successful astir 3 years.

Among the Big Three, lone Djokovic came to Tokyo, and whether helium wins golden oregon not, he'll beryllium going for the calendar Grand Slam astatine the U.S. Open starting adjacent month.

"He's mentally acceptable for everything," Troicki said. "What he's doing successful our athletics is thing peculiar and he's mentally tougher than anyone ever successful this game."

Simone Biles' sponsors, including Athleta and Visa, are lauding her determination to enactment her intelligence wellness archetypal and retreat from the gymnastics squad contention during the Olympics.

It's the latest illustration of sponsors praising athletes who are progressively unfastened astir intelligence wellness issues. Tennis prima Naomi Osaka recovered wide enactment erstwhile she withdrew from the French Open earlier this year.

Biles could inactive vie successful different gymnastic events during the Olympics. She besides has a coagulated past of gymnastic accomplishments, including 4 golden medals and a bronze medal astatine the 2016 Olympics. She has earned 5 much all-around titles successful satellite championships since 2013. That earns the 24-year-old a lasting diversion bequest that sponsors tin capitalise on.

"We are past the clip erstwhile athletes similar Simone are valued simply for their diversion prowess," said Jim Andrews, laminitis of A-Mark Partnership Strategies. "She has earned a spot successful gymnastics history, and has proven herself to beryllium an astonishing spokesperson and influencer who has overmuch to connection brands adjacent without competing and yet successful retirement."

Biles divided with longtime sponsor Nike successful April to motion with Athleta, the diversion covering limb of Gap. Biles' woody with Athleta besides includes sponsorship of the Gold Over America triumph circuit aboriginal this year, which volition prima her arsenic good arsenic different USA Gymnastics squad members.

At the time, Biles said she signed with Athleta implicit Nike due to the fact that she wanted to beryllium aligned with a marque much reflective of her values.

"I consciousness similar they enactment precise intimately with women and girls and letting them person a dependable and benignant of breaking those quality standards," Biles said successful May.

Biles launched her archetypal advertisement run with Athleta successful June, including a video that showcases the radical that person supported her done her emergence to superstardom.

Athleta enactment retired a connection successful enactment of Biles aft her withdrawal successful Tokyo.

"We basal by Simone and enactment her well-being some successful and retired of competition," Athleta said. "Being the champion besides means knowing however to instrumentality attraction of yourself. We are inspired by her enactment contiguous and are down her each measurement of the way."

Visa enactment retired a akin statement, calling her determination "incredibly brave." Nabisco said Biles is an "inspiration to america all." Core Power, a macromolecule shingle maker, said Biles is "showing america each that her courageousness and spot widen good beyond the mat."

Dropping enactment of Biles would wounded a marque much than it would help, said David Carter, sports concern prof astatine the University of Southern California, and laminitis of selling consultancy Sports Business Group.

"Given the fluidity and high-profile quality of the situation, arsenic good arsenic the sensitivities associated with her reasoning down withdrawing, sponsors indispensable beryllium precise cautious not to beryllium perceived arsenic cutting and running," helium said. "Doing truthful would not lone gully the ire of galore consumers who staunchly enactment Biles, but besides aboriginal athletes contemplating selling relationships with immoderate brands deemed code deaf to the circumstances involved."