Tennis has been a part of the Olympics at different times during its history. In more recent times the interest in tennis when played during the Olympics has grown yet again and it’s no surprise it has come at a time when the top tennis players in the world have shown a lot of interest in wanting to win a medal for their country as well. Below is all the information you want and answers to all the questions you probably have around tennis as an Olympics sport.
History of Tennis at the Olympics
The first time the modern Olympics were held in 1896, tennis was a part of the games. Tennis continued to remain a part till the 1924 games but troubles began to mount between the Olympics’ organising committee and the International Lawn Tennis Federation (or the International Tennis Federation or ITF as it’s called now) regarding the rules around the amateur players.
There’re also rumours the tennis bodies were apprehensive of the tennis in Olympics overpowering the charm of the Wimbledon Championships and finally a call was taken to take tennis off the list of sports at the games.
The first ever edition of the Olympics had only the men’s events while the women’s events were added to the 1900 Olympics.
Interestingly, at the very first edition of the tennis in Olympics 1896, few of the 13 (or 15 depending on whose account you read) players did not represent any single team but were a part of the mixed team. Some of the top players of those times like Harold Mahony and Robert Wrenn didn’t participate in the competition.
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Adding more intrigue to that was the fact, non-tennis sportsmen also featured in the tennis competition.
Tennis continued till 1924 before the aforementioned issues ended its participation at the Olympics for a further 44 years. It returned in 1968 for only under-21 players and then saw another attempt at a return in 1984 but as a demonstration sport.
It was only in 1988 tennis was finally reintroduced to the Olympics as a sport and it has continued to remain a part all these years since. In 1984, only the men’s and women’s singles competition was held but from 1988 onward, the doubles events were also a part.
And then at the 2012 London Olympics, the mixed doubles event in tennis was brought in, which continues to remain a part of the competition.
Venues & Surfaces for Tennis at the Olympics
It’s interesting to note tennis is quite different from the other sports at the Olympics because it’s one of the very few sports which doesn’t have a pre-decided surface on which it would be played at every single Olympics game.
So while most of the tennis competitions in Olympics have been held on hard court surfaces since 1984 (when it was a demonstration sport at Los Angeles), there have been two occasions already this has changed.
The 1992 Barcelona Olympics saw the tennis matches played on clay while the 2012 London Olympics matches were held on grass. Below is a list of all the venues which have been used for tennis in the Olympics since 1988.
1988 Seoul Games: Seoul Olympic Park Tennis Centre
The venue has since hosted the Korean Davis Cup team and is also used for the WTA Korea Open tennis competition.
1992 Barcelona Games: Tennis de la Vall d’Hebron
One of the very few Olympics competitions which did not hold the tennis tournaments on hard courts. It was hosted on clay. Incidentally, the 2024 Paris Games could become the second instance of tennis hosted on clay in the Olympics.
1996 Atlanta Games: Stone Mountain Tennis Center
This stadium was built specifically for the Atlanta Olympics (and Paralympics) and was later used for the 1997 WTA Atlanta and 1998 Davis Cup before getting demolished in 2018.
2000 Sydney Games: Sydney Olympic Park Tennis Centre
Constructed in 1999 for the Sydney Games, this tennis stadium was then used for the Sydney International which was held between 2001 and 2019. From 2020 onward, with the Sydney International cancelled, the tournament then hosted the ATP Cup, including the finals.
2004 Athens Games: Athens Olympic Tennis Centre
Again, this tennis facility was built specifically for the Athens Olympics and once the tournament was done, it was used to host the Status Athens Open on the Challenger Circuit. Four seasons of the Athens Open were held between 2008 and 2011.
2008 Beijing Games: National Tennis Center, Beijing
Opened in October 2007, the National Tennis Centre was used to play the Good Luck Beijing 2007 ITF competition.
It then hosted the tennis tournaments in the 2008 Olympics and was then used for the ATP and WTA China Open from 2009. This coincided with the China Open becoming a Premier Mandatory competition on the WTA side and ATP 500 on the ATP side, attracting a host of top tennis stars.
2012 London Games: All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club
The second tennis competitions at the Olympics which wasn’t held on hard court surfaces. Hosted at the same venue which holds Wimbledon every year, this has been the only tennis competition in these games which were played on grass.
2016 Rio Games: Olympic Tennis Centre (Rio de Janeiro)
The tennis at the 2016 games were hosted at this venue on hard court surfaces. While the plan was to convert the entire arena including the tennis arena into a place to host regular events, it was shut down by a Brazilian judge in early 2020 because of safety concerns.
2020 Tokyo Games: Ariake Tennis Park
This arena is used to host the Japan Open and the Pan Pacific Open every year, and will be used for the 2020 Olympics tennis as well. (Incidentally the games have been postponed to 2021 because of the coronavirus outbreak).
2024 Paris Games: Stade Roland Garros
Stade Roland Garros, or the Roland Garros Stadium hosts the French Open and will be used to hold the tennis competitions at the 2024 Paris Olympics as well. This will be held on clay.
2028 Los Angeles Games: Dignity Health Sports Park
This is a sports complex in California which has a soccer stadium, tennis stadium, track and field facilities and a velodrome. Tennis is expected to be played on hardcourt surfaces.
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Tennis Records at the Olympics
In the men’s section of the draw, Reginald Doherty has won the most golds in Olympics tennis with three to his name. He has also bagged one bronze to lead the tally with most medals. There are a few other men’s players with two golds with Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray among the current ones.
The women’s draw has been dominated by the Williams sisters, with both Venus and Serena having pouched four golds apiece. Venus has a silver to her name as well. Steffi Graf is the only player, men or women, to have won a gold in the same year she also won all four Grand Slam competitions.
USA’s 21 golds, six silvers and 12 bronze medals at tennis in Olympics puts them at the top spot on the medals tally while Great Britain is second with 17, 14 and 12. No other country has won more than five gold medals.
Who Won the Tennis Medals Different Olympics?
1896 Athens
Men’s Singles
- Gold: John Pius Boland (GBR)
- Silver: Dionysios Kasdaglis (GRE)
- Bronze: Momčilo Tapavica (HUN), Konstantinos Paspatis (GRE)
Men’s Doubles
- Gold: John Pius Boland (GBR)/Friedrich Traun (GER)
- Silver: Demetrios Petrokokkinos/Dionysios Kasdaglis (GRE)
- Bronze: Edwin Flack (AUS)/George Robertson (GBR)
1900 Paris
Men’s Singles
- Gold: Laurence Doherty (GBR)
- Silver: Harold Mahony (GBR)
- Bronze: Reginald Doherty (GBR), Arthur Norris (GBR)
Women’s Singles
- Gold: Charlotte Cooper (GBR)
- Silver: Hélène Prévost (FRA)
- Bronze: Marion Jones (USA), Hedwiga Rosenbaumová (BOH)
Men’s Doubles
- Gold: Laurence Doherty/Reginald Doherty (GBR)
- Silver: Max Décugis (FRA)/Basil Spalding de Garmendia (USA)
- Bronze: Georges de la Chapelle/André Prévost (FRA), Harold Mahony/Arthur Norris (GBR)
Mixed Doubles
- Gold: Charlotte Cooper/Reginald Doherty (GBR)
- Silver: Hélène Prévost (FRA)/Harold Mahony (GBR)
- Bronze: Marion Jones (USA)/Laurence Doherty (GBR) & Hedwiga Rosenbaumová (BOH)/Archibald Warden (GBR)
1904 St. Louis
Men’s Singles
- Gold: Beals Wright (USA)
- Silver: Robert LeRoy (USA)
- Bronze: Alphonzo Bell (USA), Edgar Leonard (USA)
Men’s Doubles
- Gold: Edgar Leonard/Beals Wright (USA)
- Silver: Alphonzo Bell/Robert LeRoy (USA)
- Bronze: Joseph Wear/Allen West (USA) and Clarence Gamble/Arthur Wear (USA)
1908 London
Outdoor Men’s Singles
- Gold: Josiah Ritchie (GBR)
- Silver: Otto Froitzheim (GER)
- Bronze: Wilberforce Eaves (GBR)
Outdoor Women’s Singles
- Gold: Dorothea Lambert Chambers (GBR)
- Silver: Dora Boothby (GBR)
- Bronze: Ruth Winch (GBR)
Outdoor Men’s Doubles
- Gold: George Hillyard/Reginald Doherty (GBR)
- Silver: Josiah Ritchie/James Parke (GBR)
- Bronze: Clement Cazalet/Charles Dixon (GBR)
Indoor Men’s Singles
- Gold: Arthur Gore (GBR)
- Silver: George Caridia (GBR)
- Bronze: Major Ritchie (GBR)
Indoor Women’s Singles
- Gold: Gwendoline Eastlake-Smith (GBR)
- Silver: Alice Greene (GBR)
- Bronze: Märtha Adlerstråhle (SWE)
Indoor Men’s Doubles
- Gold: Herbert Roper Barrett/Arthur Gore (GBR)
- Silver: George Caridia/George Simond (GBR)
- Bronze: Wollmar Bostrom/Gunnar Setterwall (SWE)
1912 Stockholm
Outdoor Men’s Singles
- Gold: Charles Winslow (RSA)
- Silver: Harold Kitson (RSA)
- Bronze: Oscar Kreuzer (GER)
Outdoor Women’s Singles
- Gold: Marguerite Broquedis (FRA)
- Silver: Dorothea Köring (GER)
- Bronze: Molla Bjurstedt (NOR)
Outdoor Men’s Doubles
- Gold: Harry Kitson/Charles Winslow (RSA)
- Silver: Arthur Zborzil/Fritz Pipes (AUT)
- Bronze: Albert Canet/Edouard Mény de Marangue (FRA)
Outdoor Mixed Doubles
- Gold: Dorothea Köring/Heinrich Schomburgk (GER)
- Silver: Sigrid Fick/Gunnar Setterwall (SWE)
- Bronze: Marguerite Broquedis/Albert Canet (FRA)
Indoor Men’s Singles
- Gold: Andre Gobert (FRA)
- Silver: Charles Dixon (GBR)
- Bronze: Anthony Wilding (AUS)
Indoor Women’s Singles
- Gold: Edith Hannam (GBR)
- Silver: Sofie Castenschiold (DEN)
- Bronze: Mabel Parton (GBR)
Indoor Men’s Doubles
- Gold: Maurice Germot/Andre Gobert (FRA)
- Silver: Carl Kempe/Gunnar Setterwall (SWE)
- Bronze: Alfred Beamish/Charles Dixon (GBR)
Indoor Mixed Doubles
- Gold: Edith Hannam/Charles Dixon (GER)
- Silver: Helen Aitchison/Herbert Roper Barrett (GBR)
- Bronze: Sigrid Fick/Gunnar Setterwall (SWE)
1920 Antwerp
Men’s Singles
- Gold: Louis Raymond (RSA)
- Silver: Ichiya Kumagae (JPN)
- Bronze: Charles Winslow (RSA)
Women’s Singles
- Gold: Suzanne Lenglen (FRA)
- Silver: Dorothy Holman (GBR)
- Bronze: Kitty McKane (GBR)
Men’s Doubles
- Gold: Oswald Turnbull/Maxwell Woosnam (GBR)
- Silver: Ichiya Kumagae/Seiichiro Kashio (JPN)
- Bronze: Max Décugis/Pierre Albarran (FRA)
Women’s Doubles
- Gold: Margaret McNair/Kitty McKane (GBR)
- Silver: Geraldine Beamish/Dorothy Holman (GBR)
- Bronze: Suzanne Lenglen/Élisabeth d’Ayen (FRA)
Mixed Doubles
- Gold: Suzanne Lenglen/Max Decugis (FRA)
- Silver: Kitty McKane/Maxwell Woosnam (GBR)
- Bronze: Milada Skrbková/Ladislav Žemla (TCH)
1924 Paris
Men’s Singles
- Gold: Vincent Richards (USA)
- Silver: Henri Cochet (FRA)
- Bronze: Umberto De Morpurgo (ITA)
Women’s Singles
- Gold: Helen Wills (USA)
- Silver: Julie Vlasto (FRA)
- Bronze: Kitty McKane (GBR)
Men’s Doubles
- Gold: Vincent Richards/Francis Hunter (USA)
- Silver: Jacques Brugnon/Henri Cochet (FRA)
- Bronze: Jean Borotra/René Lacoste (FRA)
Women’s Doubles
- Gold: Hazel Wightman/Helen Wills (USA)
- Silver: Phyllis Covell/Kitty McKane (GBR)
- Bronze: Dorothy Shepherd-Barron/Evelyn Colyer (GBR)
Mixed Doubles
- Gold: Hazel Wightman/Norris Williams (USA)
- Silver: Marion Jessup/Vincent Richards (USA)
- Bronze: Kornelia Bouman/Hendrik Timmer (NED)
1988 Seoul
Men’s Singles
- Gold: Miloslav Mečíř (TCH)
- Silver: Tim Mayotte (USA)
- Bronze: Stefan Edberg (SWE), Brad Gilbert (USA)
Women’s Singles
- Gold: Steffi Graf (FRG)
- Silver: Gabriela Sabatini (ARG)
- Bronze: Zina Garrison (USA), Manuela Maleeva (BUL)
Men’s Doubles
- Gold: Ken Flach/Robert Seguso (USA)
- Silver: Emilio Sánchez/Sergio Casal (ESP)
- Bronze: Miloslav Mečíř/Milan Šrejber (TCH) and Stefan Edberg/Anders Järryd (SWE)
Women’s Doubles
- Gold: Pam Shriver/Zina Garrison (USA)
- Silver: Jana Novotná/Helena Suková (TCH)
- Bronze: Elizabeth Smylie/Wendy Turnbull (AUS) & Steffi Graf/Claudia Kohde-Kilsch (FRG)
1992 Barcelona
Men’s Singles
- Gold: Marc Rosset (SUI)
- Silver: Jordi Arrese (ESP)
- Bronze: Andrei Cherkasov (EUN), Goran Ivanišević (CRO)
Women’s Singles
- Gold: Jennifer Capriati (USA)
- Silver: Steffi Graf (GER)
- Bronze: Mary Joe Fernández (USA), Arantxa Sánchez Vicario (ESP)
Men’s Doubles
- Gold: Boris Becker/Michael Stich (GER)
- Silver: Wayne Ferreira/Piet Norval (RSA)
- Bronze: Javier Frana/Christian Miniussi (ARG) & Goran Ivanišević/Goran Prpić (CRO)
Women’s Doubles
- Gold: Gigi Fernández/Mary Joe Fernández (USA)
- Silver: Conchita Martínez/Arantxa Sánchez Vicario (ESP)
- Bronze: Rachel McQuillan/Nicole Bradtke (AUS) & Leila Meskhi/Natasha Zvereva (EUN)
1996 Atlanta
Men’s Singles
- Gold: Andre Agassi (USA)
- Silver: Sergi Bruguera (ESP)
- Bronze: Leander Paes (IND)
Women’s Singles
- Gold: Lindsay Davenport (USA)
- Silver: Arantxa Sánchez Vicario (ESP)
- Bronze: Jana Novotná (CZE)
Men’s Doubles
- Gold: Todd Woodbridge/Mark Woodforde (AUS)
- Silver: Neil Broad/Tim Henman (GBR)
- Bronze: Marc-Kevin Goellner/David Prinosil (GER)
Women’s Doubles
- Gold: Gigi Fernández/Mary Joe Fernández (USA)
- Silver: Jana Novotná/Helena Suková (CZE)
- Bronze: Conchita Martínez/Arantxa Sánchez Vicario (ESP)
2000 Sydney
Men’s Singles
- Gold: Yevgeny Kafelnikov (RUS)
- Silver: Tommy Haas (GER)
- Bronze: Arnaud Di Pasquale (FRA)
Women’s Singles
- Gold: Venus Williams (USA)
- Silver: Elena Dementieva (RUS)
- Bronze: Monica Seles (USA)
Men’s Doubles
- Gold: Sébastien Lareau/Daniel Nestor (CAN)
- Silver: Todd Woodbridge/Mark Woodforde (AUS)
- Bronze: Àlex CorretjaAlbert Costa (ESP)
Women’s Doubles
- Gold: Serena Williams/Venus Williams (USA)
- Silver: Kristie Boogert/Miriam Oremans (NED)
- Bronze: Els Callens/Dominique Van Roost (BEL)
2004 Athens
Men’s Singles
- Gold: Nicolás Massú (CHI)
- Silver: Mardy Fish (USA)
- Bronze: Fernando González (CHI)
Women’s Singles
- Gold: Justine Henin-Hardenne (BEL)
- Silver: Amélie Mauresmo (FRA)
- Bronze: Alicia Molik (AUS)
Men’s Doubles
- Gold: Fernando González/Nicolás Massú (CHI)
- Silver: Nicolas Kiefer/Rainer Schüttler (GER)
- Bronze: Mario Ančić/Ivan Ljubičić (CRO)
Women’s Doubles
- Gold: Li Ting/Sun Tiantian (CHN)
- Silver: Conchita Martínez/Virginia Ruano Pascual (ESP)
- Bronze: Paola Suárez/Patricia Tarabini (ARG)
2008 Beijing
Men’s Singles
- Gold: Rafael Nadal (ESP)
- Silver: Fernando González (CHI)
- Bronze: Novak Djokovic (SRB)
Women’s Singles
- Gold: Elena Dementieva (RUS)
- Silver: Dinara Safina (RUS)
- Bronze: Vera Zvonareva (RUS)
Men’s Doubles
- Gold: Roger Federer/Stanislas Wawrinka (SUI)
- Silver: Simon Aspelin/Thomas Johansson (SWE)
- Bronze: Bob Bryan/Mike Bryan (USA)
Women’s Doubles
- Gold: Serena Williams/Venus Williams (USA)
- Silver: Anabel Medina Garrigues/Virginia Ruano Pascual (ESP)
- Bronze: Yan Zi/Zheng Jie (CHN)
2012 London
Men’s Singles
- Gold: Andy Murray (GBR)
- Silver: Roger Federer (SUI)
- Bronze: Juan Martín del Potro (ARG)
Women’s Singles
- Gold: Serena Williams (USA)
- Silver: Maria Sharapova (RUS)
- Bronze: Victoria Azarenka (BLR)
Men’s Doubles
- Gold: Bob Bryan/Mike Bryan (USA)
- Silver: Michaël Llodra/Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA)
- Bronze: Julien Benneteau/Richard Gasquet (FRA)
Women’s Doubles
- Gold: Serena Williams/Venus Williams (USA)
- Silver: Andrea Hlaváčková/Lucie Hradecká (CZE)
- Bronze: Maria Kirilenko/Nadia Petrova (RUS)
Mixed Doubles
- Gold: Victoria Azarenka/Max Mirnyi (BLR)
- Silver: Laura Robson/Andy Murray (GBR)
- Bronze: Lisa Raymond/Mike Bryan (USA)
2016 Rio
Men’s Singles
- Gold: Andy Murray (GBR)
- Silver: Juan Martín del Potro (ARG)
- Bronze: Kei Nishikori (JPN)
Women’s Singles
- Gold: Monica Puig (PUR)
- Silver: Angelique Kerber (GER)
- Bronze: Petra Kvitová (CZE)
Men’s Doubles
- Gold: Marc López/Rafael Nadal (ESP)
- Silver: Florin Mergea/Horia Tecău (ROU)
- Bronze: Steve Johnson/Jack Sock (USA)
Women’s Doubles
- Gold: Ekaterina Makarova/Elena Vesnina (RUS)
- Silver: Timea Bacsinszky/Martina Hingis (SUI)
- Bronze: Lucie Šafářová/Barbora Strýcová (CZE)
Mixed Doubles
- Gold: Bethanie Mattek-Sands/Jack Sock (USA)
- Silver: Venus Williams/Rajeev Ram (USA)
- Bronze: Lucie Hradecká/Radek Štěpánek (CZE)
What Does a Golden Slam Mean?
Winning a Golden Slam in tennis equates to winning the four Grand Slams and the tennis gold medal in the same year. Only one player in the history of tennis, man or woman, has achieved this feat, Germany’s Steffi Graf.
Interestingly, Graf had also won the singles gold at the 1984 Olympics when tennis was a demonstration sport and was on the verge of making it three at the 1992 Olympics when she won the first set of the final against Jennifer Capriati but lost the next two to end with a silver.
Tennis Qualification Process for Tokyo Olympics (2021)
Different editions of the Olympics have a different qualification process for tennis. For the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo (now 2021), a total of 172 players will participate in the tennis at Olympics, featuring in men’s and women’s singles, men’s and women’s doubles and mixed doubles competitions.
The men’s and women’s singles draw will see 64 players each, of which 56 will qualify directly based on their rankings as on June 7, 2021. Only four players from each country can qualify though.
Six remaining slots will be given to those countries which don’t already have players representing them in tennis, one place will go to the host country and one other slot to a previous gold medallist or a Grand Slam winner who doesn’t qualify by the aforementioned method.
32 teams will participate in the men’s and women’s doubles respectively. A maximum of 10 slots are allocated to the top 10 doubles players, and each of them could select any player as their partner subject to the ranking being in the top 300. Combined rankings of players decide on the remaining slots, with the host nation getting one slot if no other team from the country qualifies for it.
The mixed doubles spots are decided based on the players who are already playing in the singles and doubles. 15 of the 16 teams in the mixed doubles will be decided on the basis of the combined rankings while one slot will be allocated to the hosts as expected.