Big names and surprise matchups: an intriguing look into the 2024 Paris Tennis Olympics draw

WTA
Thursday, 25 July 2024 at 16:55
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The Women's Singles Draw has been confirmed ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games Tennis which begins on Saturday July 27 running until Saturday August 3 at Roland Garros
Iga Swiatek is top seed over the next week. She faces off against Irina-Camelia Begu in the opening round. Nadia Podoroska or Diane Parry then await. She also sits in the same section as two familiar nemesis players in Jelena Ostapenko and Linda Noskova. Also another cork in the bottle is recent high flying Russian, Diana Shnaider.
Second seed is Coco Gauff who faces Ajla Tomljanovic. She sits in the same section as Bianca Andreescu. While her teammate and fifth seed Jessica Pegula faces Viktorija Golubic. Fourth seed Jasmine Paolini faces Ana Bogdan in the first round then it could be a repeat of the French Open semi-finals as Mirra Andreeva lurks. Qinwen Zheng is sixth seed and faces home hero Caroline Garcia.
Karolina Muchova opens up against Leylah Fernandez. While in her last ever tournament, Angelique Kerber faces Naomi Osaka with the potential of Elena Rybakina in the second round. Caroline Wozniacki could face Danielle Collins in the second round also in another leading highlight. A new gold medalist is likely to be crowned too with Belinda Bencic unable to defend her title and Monica Puig before her now being retired.

Early History

  • Introduction: Women's tennis was introduced at the Olympic Games in 1900 in Paris.
  • Early Years: It continued to be part of the Olympics until 1924. Similar to men's tennis, it was removed after the 1924 Paris Olympics due to amateurism disputes.

Return to the Olympics

  • Demonstration Sport: Tennis was featured as a demonstration sport in the 1968 and 1984 Olympics.
  • Full Return: It officially returned as a full medal sport at the 1988 Seoul Olympics, the same year as men's tennis.

Notable Champions and Records

  • First Champion: Charlotte Cooper (Great Britain) won the first women's singles gold medal in 1900.
  • Multiple Gold Medalists: Notable multiple gold medalists include Serena Williams and Venus Williams, who have each won four Olympic gold medals (one each in singles and three together in doubles).
  • Golden Slam: Steffi Graf (Germany) achieved the "Golden Slam" in 1988 by winning all four Grand Slam titles and the Olympic gold medal in the same year.

Modern Era Highlights

  • Prominent Players: Notable Olympic champions include Steffi Graf (1988), Lindsay Davenport (1996), Venus Williams (2000), Justine Henin (2004), Elena Dementieva (2008), Serena Williams (2012), and Monica Puig (2016).
  • National Representation: Similar to men's tennis, the Olympics emphasize national representation, adding a unique aspect to the competition.
  • Format: The tournament format is single-elimination with matches played as best-of-three sets, including the final.

Recent Developments

  • Tokyo 2020: Belinda Bencic (Switzerland) won the gold medal, marking a significant milestone in her career.
  • Paris 2024: The upcoming Olympic Games in Paris are highly anticipated, with top players vying to represent their countries and achieve Olympic success.
Women's tennis at the Olympics has grown in prestige and significance, with the Olympic gold medal being a symbol of national pride and individual excellence. The event showcases the best in women's tennis, highlighting both established champions and emerging talents.

2024 Olympic Games Women's Tennis Draw

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