2024 Paris Olympic Games Tennis Day One Schedule and Preview - Saturday 27 July including Djokovic, Swiatek and Nadalcaraz

Saturday, 27 July 2024 at 12:36

The schedule is set for the opening day (Saturday July 27) of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games Tennis and our preview looks ahead to the action with a myriad of top names in action on all courts.

Unlike Grand Slams, it will feature all disciplines starting on Saturday with singles in both men's and women's, doubles including mixed, men's and women's albeit with a poor weather forecast so Chatrier and Lenglen are likely to see the most action.

But compared to Roland Garros, there are a lot more matches on the lead showcourts featuring Carlos Alcaraz, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Iga Swiatek all in action and starting campaigns for gold medals.

Djokovic, Swiatek and Nadalcaraz star on Chatrier

Action starts around midday on Saturday with Iga Swiatek, the Queen of Clay and current four time defending Roland Garros champion kicking off her singles campaign. She is favourite to add a gold medal to her glittering collection and will open up against Irina-Camelia Begu.

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Both top seeds will open the tournament with Novak Djokovic following on in the best out of three set format facing off against Matt Ebden, a doubles specialist. Strange quirks in the system at the Olympic Games mean it is doubles stars who fill in for those who are missing from the singles. So Ebden who hilariously reacted to said call-up is set to play singles against the best of all time in the opinion of many.

Albeit a player who is yet to seal an Olympic gold medal. Then the evening session sees two matches with big importance. The Nadalcaraz pairing of Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz will take to the court to face sixth seeds Maximo Gonzalez and Andres Molteni. It is yet unsure whether Nadal will play singles so it could be his last time playing at the Olympic Games.

It will be Angelique Kerber's if she loses to Naomi Osaka. A real battle of returning mothers and multiple Grand Slam champions, the German has decided to close the curtain on her glittering career after the Olympic Games. She joins Andy Murray in doing so albeit with a sudden announcement before the draw was made.

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Alcaraz again, Paolini, Garcia and Medvedev highlights on Suzanne-Lenglen

Carlos Alcaraz is slated to play twice on Saturday. He will be second up on Court Suzanne-Lenglen meaning a mad dash from court to court and warming down to get ready again. He faces trailblazer from Lebanon, Hady Habib second up.

Before that, it is fourth seed and one of the favourites for the women's gold medal in Jasmine Paolini. The back-to-back Grand Slam finalist anchors Italian hopes in Jannik Sinner's demise due to tonsillitis and she faces Ana Bogdan.

Caroline Garcia will be the lead home hero. She faces Jaqueline Cristian. While Daniil Medvedev takes on Rinky Hijikata. Elsewhere, Stefanos Tsitsipas faces Zizou Bergs, Stan Wawrinka, Jelena Ostapenko, Taylor Fritz all start their campaigns.

As well as Nadalcaraz, Alcaraz will also play singles.

Draper-Nishikori set with Canada Day on Court 9

Jack Draper faces Kei Nishikori in a real popcorn affair, Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula will play doubles against roommates Ellen Perez and Daria Saville. The latter duo have lit up TikTok with their behind the scenes looks at the tournament and now will face the top seeds.

Tommy Paul, Danielle Collins, Emma Navarro are all on the slate as is Leylah Fernandez v Karolina Muchova and Bianca Andreescu back-to-back on court 9. The former will then return to play doubles later in the day. So Court 9 is the go to for Canada action.

Leylah Fernandez v Karolina Muchova is a highlight with Bianca Andreescu also headlining Canada hopes on Saturday.

Early Years and Initial Inclusion

1896 Athens Olympics: Tennis was one of the original sports included in the first modern Olympic Games. Both men's singles and doubles events were featured.
1900 Paris Olympics: Women's tennis was introduced, with Charlotte Cooper of Great Britain becoming the first female Olympic champion in history.

Interruption and Absence

1924 Paris Olympics: Tennis was featured for the last time before a long hiatus. It was dropped from the Olympic program due to disputes over amateurism rules and other administrative issues.

Reinstatement and Modern Era

1988 Seoul Olympics: After a 64-year absence, tennis was reintroduced as a full medal sport. This reinstatement marked the beginning of the modern era of Olympic tennis. Steffi Graf of Germany won the women's singles gold, achieving a "Golden Slam" by winning all four Grand Slam titles and the Olympic gold in the same year.
2000 Sydney Olympics: Venus Williams of the United States won both the women's singles and doubles gold medals, with the doubles victory achieved alongside her sister Serena Williams.

Recent Developments

2004 Athens to 2016 Rio Olympics: The period saw champions from diverse nations, including Justine Henin (Belgium), Elena Dementieva (Russia), and Andy Murray (Great Britain), who became the first player to win two consecutive singles gold medals (2012 and 2016).
2020 Tokyo Olympics: Novak Djokovic, despite being a favorite, was upset in the semi-finals. Alexander Zverev of Germany won the men's singles gold, while Belinda Bencic of Switzerland won the women's singles gold.

Notable Achievements

Williams Sisters: Serena and Venus Williams have been particularly successful, winning multiple gold medals in both singles and doubles, solidifying their legacy in Olympic tennis history.
Steffi Graf: Her "Golden Slam" in 1988 remains one of the most remarkable achievements in the history of the sport.

Court Philippe-Chatrier. From 12pm CET

[1] Iga SWIATEK (POL) v Irina-Camelia BEGU (ROU)
[1] Novak DJOKOVIC (SRB) v Matthew EBDEN (AUS)

From 7pm CET

Carlos ALCARAZ / Rafael NADAL (ESP) v Maximo GONZALEZ / Andres MOLTENI (ARG)
Naomi OSAKA (JPN) v Angelique KERBER (GER)

Court Suzanne-Lenglen - From 12pm CET

[4] Jasmine PAOLINI (ITA) v Ana BOGDAN (ROU)
[2] Carlos ALCARAZ (ESP) v Hady HABIB (LBN)
[17] Caroline GARCIA (FRA) v Jaqueline Adina CRISTIAN (ROU)
[4] Daniil MEDVEDEV (AIN) v Rinky HIJIKATA (AUS)

Court Simonne-Mathieu

From 12pm CET

[10] Jelena OSTAPENKO (LAT) v Camila OSORIO (COL)
[14] Beatriz HADDAD MAIA (BRA) v Varvara GRACHEVA (FRA)

[8] Stefanos TSITSIPAS (GRE) v Zizou BERGS (BEL)
Stan WAWRINKA (SUI) v Pavel KOTOV (AIN)

Court 14

Nadia PODOROSKA (ARG) v Diane PARRY (FRA)
[13] Félix AUGER-ALIASSIME (CAN) v Marcos GIRON (USA)
[7] Taylor FRITZ (USA) v Alexander BUBLIK (KAZ) (not before 3 p.m.)
[1] Coco GAUFF / Jessica PEGULA (USA) v Ellen PEREZ / Daria SAVILLE (AUS)

Court 6

Jack DRAPER (GBR) v (PR) Kei NISHIKORI (JPN)
Tallon GRIEKSPOOR (NED) v Cameron NORRIE (GBR)
Daniel EVANS (GBR) v Moez ECHARGUI (TUN)
[8] Arthur FILS / Ugo HUMBERT (FRA) v Sander GILLE / Joran VLIEGEN (BEL)

Court 7

[9] Tommy PAUL (USA) v Luciano DARDERI (ITA)
[8] Danielle COLLINS (USA) v Laura SIEGEMUND (GER)
[12] Marta KOSTYUK (UKR) v Yulia PUTINTSEVA (KAZ)
Christopher EUBANKS (USA) v Benjamin HASSAN (LBN)

Court 8

[11] Emma NAVARRO (USA) v Julia GRABHER (AUT)
Dayana YASTREMSKA (UKR) v Laura PIGOSSI (BRA)
Tomas MACHAC (CZE) v Zhizhen ZHANG (CHN)
Nicolas JARRY / Alejandro TABILO (CHI) v Luciano DARDERI / Lorenzo MUSETTI (ITA)

Court 9

[16] Leylah FERNANDEZ (CAN) v Karolina MUCHOVA (CZE)
Bianca ANDREESCU (CAN) v Clara TAUSON (DEN)
Sebastian OFNER (AUT) v [ALT] Robin HAASE (NED)
[5] Gabriela DABROWSKI / Leylah FERNANDEZ (CAN) v Clara BUREL / Varvara GRACHEVA (FRA)

Court 10

[6] Qinwen ZHENG (CHN) v [ALT] Daria SAVILLE (AUS) [ALT] Sara ERRANI (ITA)
Mariano NAVONE (ARG) v Nuno BORGES (POR)
Lyudmyla KICHENOK / Nadiia KICHENOK (UKR) v Xinyu WANG / Saisai ZHENG

Court 11

Nikola MEKTIC / Mate PAVIC (CRO) v Dominik KOEPFER / Jan-Lennard STRUFF (GER)
[1] Simone BOLELLI /Andrea VAVASSORI (ITA) v Pablo CARRENO BUSTA / Marcel GRANOLLERS (ESP)
Anna Karolina SCHMIEDLOVA (SVK) v Katie BOULTER (GBR)
[3] Sara ERRANI / Jasmine PAOLINI (ITA) v Erin ROUTLIFFE / Lulu SUN (NZL)

Court 12

Anhelina KALININA (UKR) v Arantxa RUS (NED)
Fabien REBOUL / Edouard ROGER-VASSELIN (FRA) v N Sriram BALAJI / Rohan BOPANNA (IND)
Ekaterina ALEXANDROVA / Elena VESNINA (AIN) v Karolina MUCHOVA / Linda NOSKOVA (CZE)
[6] Beatriz HADDAD MAIA / Luisa STEFANI (BRA) v Yue YUAN / Shuai ZHANG (CHN)

Court 13

Petra MARTIC (CRO) v Cristina BUCSA (ESP)
[15] Diana SHNAIDER (AIN) v Elisabetta COCCIARETTO (ITA)
[2] Barbora KREJCIKOVA / Katerina SINIAKOVA (CZE) v Latisha CHAN / Hao-Ching CHAN (TPE)
Maria Lourdes CARLE / Nadia PODOROSKA (ARG) v Tamara KORPATSCH / Tatjana MARIA (GER)

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