Tennis is a sport loved by millions around the globe and its rich history also includes the most well-known and rigorous tournament of all: the Olympic Games! It was originally a part of the inaugural modern Olympics in 1896 (held in the summer, at Athens) but was dropped a few decades later in 1924 – largely due to disputes amongst various bodies over amateurism in the sport. For many decades, fans of the sport had the opportunity of watching Olympic tennis stolen from them, but it made a triumphant return to the Olympic stage in 1988 at the Seoul Games as a full medal sport – after a few years of demonstrations. Since then, it’s been a regular fixture in both the Summer Olympics, held every four years, and the Paralympic Games, showcasing the skill and athleticism of the world’s top players.
There are several moments that stand out in the legacy of tennis in the Olympics – highlights that have become milestones in the sport and continue to be remembered by true enthusiasts. American tennis icon Andre Agassi, for instance, achieved a remarkable feat at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics by winning the gold medal in men’s singles: this victory completed his Career Golden Slam, making him the first male tennis player to achieve such a milestone! The distinction of winning a Golden Grand Slam, however, is held by the brilliant Steffi Graf, who won the women’s singles gold at the 1988 Seoul Olympics after unmatched success at all four Grand Slam tournaments in the same year. In the year 2000, we witnessed the remarkable rise of the two sisters Serena and Venus Williams: Venus became the third American woman to win singles gold, and the duo also achieved the fourth consecutive women’s doubles title for the USA.
Fans will also remember Beijing 2008: Roger Federer and Stan Wawrinka winning men’s doubles for Switzerland, not to mention Rafael Nadal scoring the gold medal in men’s singles. Serena and Venus, of course, reigned supreme in women’s doubles yet again; they were virtually unstoppable, achieving wins in 2012 and 2016 as well. Of course, we can’t forget the historic match of 2012 London, where Andy Murray defeated Roger Federer for the Olympic gold medal – the first British man since 1908 to score a gold. Serena defeated Maria Sharapova in women’s singles and also achieved a Career Golden Slam – the first women to achieve that after Steffi Graff. This is simply a short montage of what has been a brilliant stint of tennis at the Olympics: it’s always a pleasure to watch the game on a global stage with players from all over the world, and there’s no doubt that we’ll see the emergence of many more brilliant stars from these tournaments.
Sources:
https://www.nbcolympics.com/news/tennis-101-olympic-history
https://www.topendsports.com/events/summer/sports/tennis.htm
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