PREVIEW: Get set for high-drama - Dissecting the Men's 2024 Olympic Games tennis draw
ATPFriday, 26 July 2024 at 15:18
The Paris Olympic Games are upon us, and we know now who might face whom and at what stage, which is really exciting. For example, we might get Rafael Nadal against Novak Djokovic in the second round. That’s not the only great matchup at the games, so let’s see what else we might see in Paris in our tournament preview.
The Olympics are one of the most iconic sporting events, and while some would argue that they’re not the pinnacle of men’s tennis, they’re still a pretty significant event. Lots of great players are taking part this year, and after the draw is out, we now have a chance to see who will face whom and at what stage. Shall we begin?
Top seed Djokovic
Novak Djokovic is the top seed at these Olympics, and his journey towards a potential first gold medal won’t be easy. The Serbian will face Matthew Ebden in the first round, which is a pretty solid warm-up for him. However, the 2nd round matchup, which could potentially be against Rafael Nadal or Marton Fucsovics, is what has caught everybody’s attention due to the high level of competition it promises.
Obviously, we all want to see the matchup against Nadal because it’s been a while since we saw them play, and the occasion would just make it better. Being at the Olympics and on the Roland Garros courts, where Nadal has been so superb, would make it an iconic match that would go down in history. Outside of Nadal, we also have Stefanos Tsitsipas in his quarter of the draw, which will also be tricky.
They played a Roland Garros final before, and Tsitsipas is a wonderful clay player, so Djokovic wouldn’t have it very easy either way. Outside of that, his draw looks pretty measured, but beating Nadal in the second round, if it comes to that, will be very tough.
Top Favourite Alcaraz
Carlos Alcaraz might not be the number one seed at the event, but the Spaniard is certainly the top favourite to win it. We explained it well in our favourites piece from a few days ago, but basically, to say it again, he’s just been the best player in the world in the past two months. Winning Roland Garros is certainly one of the reasons why many consider him the most likely to win, winning Wimbledon certainly made it even more likely.
He seems like he’s a step above everybody, and regardless of his draw, he will be favoured. The start will happen against Haby Hadid, who should not give him any problems. The first bigger name he might face is Cameron Norrie in the 2nd round. Some other players he might face en route to the final are Tommy Paul and Alejandro Tabilo, with Casper Ruud and Daniil Medvedev also on his side of the draw. As we said above, he should still be favoured against all of them.
Recent Wimbledon winner Carlos Alcaraz can be seen as favourite for gold
Defending Champ Alexander Zverev
Many will closely watch Alexander Zverev because he not only won the Olympics in 2021 but is also a tremendous performer at Roland Garros in general. This year, he stood in the final and made the semi-final three years before. Overall, it’s been an amazing time for him in Paris, so many expect him to make some noise.
His draw is pretty tough because he will start off against Jaume Munar, who is known as a clay expert and a really tough player. He likes to play long rallies and doesn’t mind long matches, so that is a potentially really tough opening round for Zverev. He’s also known for starting slow, and that would be a mistake against Munar. It doesn’t get much easier for Zverev after that as he might face either Tomas Machac or Zhizhen Zhang next, who are tough players. Nicolas Jarry might be waiting after that, and it’s simply a really tough draw for Zverev.
Still, he has performed so well at the event in the past that very few would doubt that he can beat those players. Novak Djokvoic and Rafael Nadal are also part of his half of the draw, so to make the final, he would possibly have to beat one of them, and that wouldn’t be that easy either.
Dark Horses
There are a couple of notable names that we have to mention who could make a potentially good run at the event. None of them is favoured to really go all the way, but all of them can catch fire for a few days and make a deep run at the event. At the top of that list is Casper Ruud, who has made two finals in Paris in the past. His Roland Garros this year was also pretty decent, so he’ll certainly be a name to watch. Another name to watch is Daniil Medvedev, who's in the same quarter as Ruud, and he could certainly beat him on the clay.
The draw for Ruud was fine as he might face Taro Daniel and then another player who’s not highly ranked after that. Auger-Aliassime, the biggest name close to him in the draw. Another name to watch is Lorenzo Musetti, who has been playing stellar tennis in the past two months, and we know how much he loves to play on clay. He’s also been pretty decent in Paris over the years, pushing Novak Djokovic to five sets this year. He has a pretty decent draw as Taylor Fritz is in his quarter, and he just beat him on grass. If he can beat him on grass, he can also beat him on clay.
Overall, it’s a pretty interesting draw with lots of great matchups. However, the potential second-round match between Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic is particularly intriguing due to their past encounters and the high stakes of the Olympics.
Early Years (1896-1924)
- 1896 (Athens): Tennis made its Olympic debut at the first modern Olympic Games. The men's singles gold medal was won by John Pius Boland of Great Britain.
- 1900 (Paris): This Olympics saw the introduction of men's doubles, with Laurence Doherty and Reginald Doherty of Great Britain winning the gold.
- 1904 (St. Louis): The event saw fewer international competitors. Beals Wright of the USA won the men's singles.
- 1908 (London): The competition was held outdoors and indoors, with Arthur Gore of Great Britain winning the outdoor singles.
- 1912 (Stockholm): There were indoor and outdoor events. Charles Winslow of South Africa won the outdoor singles.
- 1920 (Antwerp): The tournament resumed after a hiatus due to World War I. Louis Raymond of South Africa won the singles.
- 1924 (Paris): The last Games before tennis was discontinued as an Olympic sport. Vincent Richards of the USA won the singles gold.
Discontinuation and Reintroduction (1928-1988)
- 1928-1984: Tennis was removed from the Olympic program due to disputes over amateurism rules.
- 1984 (Los Angeles): Tennis returned as a demonstration sport, signaling a renewed interest.
- 1988 (Seoul): Tennis was officially reinstated as a full medal sport. Miloslav Mečíř of Czechoslovakia won the singles gold.
Modern Era (1988-present)
- 1992 (Barcelona): Marc Rosset of Switzerland won the singles gold.
- 1996 (Atlanta): Andre Agassi of the USA captured the singles gold, marking a high point in his career.
- 2000 (Sydney): Yevgeny Kafelnikov of Russia won the singles gold.
- 2004 (Athens): Nicolás Massú of Chile won the singles gold and also won the doubles with Fernando González.
- 2008 (Beijing): Rafael Nadal of Spain won the singles gold.
- 2012 (London): Andy Murray of Great Britain won the singles gold, defeating Roger Federer in the final on Wimbledon grass.
- 2016 (Rio de Janeiro): Andy Murray defended his title, becoming the first player to win two singles gold medals.
- 2020 (Tokyo): The event was postponed to 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Alexander Zverev of Germany won the singles gold.
Notable Facts
- Surface Changes: The Olympics has seen tennis played on various surfaces, including grass, clay, and hard courts.
- Professional Participation: Since the reintroduction in 1988, professional players have been allowed to compete, adding significant prestige to the Olympic tennis event.
- Grand Slam Champions: Several Grand Slam champions have also won Olympic gold, including Rafael Nadal, Andre Agassi, and Andy Murray, highlighting the event's importance in the sport.
Men's tennis at the Olympic Games has evolved significantly from its early days, now standing as a prestigious event that attracts the world's top players, offering a unique blend of national pride and individual achievement.
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