There is so much tennis history at the Summer Olympic Games.
While players are so used to playing individually throughout the season at the Grand Slams and other events throughout the calendar, the Olympics allows players to compete for something bigger than themselves.
Over the decades, tennis at the Olympics has taken some twists and turns. After making its debut at the 1896 Summer Olympics, it was dropped after the 1924 Games due to conflicts of interest between the International Lawn Tennis Federation and IOC over how amateur athletes should be defined. Tennis returned to the Summer Olympics in 1988 as a full medal sport and was open to players of all ages and career statuses.
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The Summer Olympics has seen some remarkable Americans come through to the top of the podium and Paris 2024 will be no different.
Here we take a look at the tennis rules for the 2024 Olympics in Paris and everything to know about the Games:
When does tennis at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games begin?
The tennis events are scheduled to run from July 27 to Aug. 4.
Where is tennis at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games played?
The tennis events will be played at the Stade Roland Garros — the same location as the French Open.
Paris 2024 will be the first time clay courts are used for an Olympic tennis event since Barcelona 1992 and the first time the tournament is played at a Grand Slam venue since 2012 (Wimbledon: All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club).
How do players qualify for Paris 2024?
There are numerous rules and exceptions for the qualification process in tennis for Paris 2024.
The basics include that each NOC can qualify up to 12 athletes — six per gender — dispersed throughout the five tennis events. Additionally, the direct acceptance.
The singles draw includes a 64-player field
- The key criteria include that there is a maximum quota of four players per NOC and players must be ranked top 400 in singles.
- 56 players will be direct acceptances
- One spot per event is reserved for France as host country
- Six players are ITF Places* while the last spot is a universality place
*ITF Places are given to winners or finalists of prestigious team events around the world (2023 Pan-American Games, 2022 Asian Games, 2023 Adrican Games). The other two ITF Places are kept for Olympic or Grand Slam singles champions (following key criteria)
The doubles events (women’s and men’s) feature 32 teams:
- Two players per NOC
- Top 10 players of ATP and WTA doubles qualify with a partner from the same NOC (inside the top 300 of any ranking list and following NOC criteria)
- Teams are then selected using combined raking of partners
- Lastly, teams are selected based on teams who already have players qualified in a singles event
The mixed doubles event features 16 teams:
- One team per NOC allowed
- Qualification is based on the combined ranking of partners
Which Americans have won the most medals at the Summer Olympic Games?
The leader in medals among Americans is Venus Williams. She has earned four gold medals and one silver between 2000 and 2016. In second place is Serena Williams with four gold medals during the same period as her sister.
In third place is Vincent Richards with two gold and one silver earned at the 1924 Paris Olympics.
Which nation has the most gold medals in tennis at the Summer Olympic Games?
The United States leads the pack with 39 total medals: 21 gold, six silver and 12 bronze.
Great Britain has 17 gold medals while France has earned five.