Among the many most hanging photographs from Paris 2024 have been these of the jam-packed stands on the iconic Roland-Garros. Seat of the second Main of the yr, the French Open, it’s now enjoying host to the Olympic tennis occasion for under the primary time in its historical past.
The jamboree could also be due to the star attraction. 5 of the ATP’s top-10, together with 4 of the top-five, and eight of the WTA’s top-10 featured within the attract Paris.
And there’s a particular following for a battered Rafael Nadal prepared himself via matches, a bruised Andy Murray escaping actuality and hiding the timelessness of an athlete’s wrestle, and an formidable Novak Djokovic trying so as to add that one singles gold medal which can make his the very best CV in males’s tennis historical past.
Stark distinction
This can be a far cry from the late Eighties and Nineteen Nineties when tennis was reintroduced as a medal sport (in 1988) after a prolonged hiatus since 1924. Although the legendary Steffi Graf gained the gold at Seoul 1988 and went on to finish the ‘Golden Slam’ (profitable all 4 Majors and the Olympic gold in a single season), Stefan Edberg was the one notable title amongst males that yr.
Pete Sampras, the very best participant of the Nineteen Nineties, turned up just for Barcelona 1992, and that got here when he had gained none of his 14 Main titles. At Atlanta 1996, solely three of the ATP’s top-10 have been current.
Fellow racquet sports activities, desk tennis and badminton, made their debuts as official medal disciplines in 1988 and 1992 respectively, and very quickly the Olympic gold grew to become the final word honour in these sports activities. Tennis, in distinction, gave the best sporting extravaganza within the universe the chilly shoulder.
Special day: Former World No. 1 Angelique Kerber says it’s ‘a unique feeling whenever you’re carrying the outfit with the nationwide colors’. | Picture credit score: Getty Photos
However not anymore. Tennis’ as soon as tenuous relationship with the Olympic motion has seemingly ceased and the 2 at the moment are transferring hand in hand. If Naomi Osaka lit the Olympic flame at Tokyo 2020, tennis had an outsized presence on the opening ceremony in Paris, with Nadal, Serena Williams and Amelie Mauresmo all being a part of the torch relay.
America of America, which has no dearth of Olympic champions, gave debutant tennis participant and World No. 2 Coco Gauff the delight of place, bestowing the chance to be the nation’s flag-bearer alongside basketball legend LeBron James.
Nadal, injured for a superb a part of the final two years, skipped Wimbledon to prepare for the Olympics. Murray might have had a poetic farewell at house at Wimbledon, the place he gained two of his three Majors, however as an alternative selected the Olympics because the end line.
Djokovic, who has a singles bronze from Beijing 2008, braved a surgically repaired knee and a radical shift in surfaces — from clay to grass to clay, with the onerous courts to observe — to go on a hunt for the singles gold.
The duality of the game
Tennis has lengthy been characterised by a sure duality. Rivals prize themselves for being ‘unbiased contractors’, outlined solely by their rating and never nationality.
Fan help has mirrored this, with allegiance extra to the participant than the nation. Till Roger Federer retired, a ticket to his match was crucial possession. In recent times, the 4 Grand Slam tournaments — Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon and US Open — have solely grown in recognition and stature regardless of having a negligible share of homegrown winners.
However the sport has additionally been a car for nationwide identification and tribalistic fandom. Within the Davis Cup and Billie Jean King Cup (erstwhile Fed Cup), tennis has two group competitions with decades-long historical past.
Sampras could have as soon as famously mentioned that profitable Slams and staying No.1 have been his priorities and that if he tried to play Davis Cup, “these different issues will probably be in jeopardy”, however for the smaller nations, Cup success is the ticket to worldwide stardom. As Vijay Amritraj has repeatedly pressured, wherever he performed, even on the hallowed Wimbledon Centre Court docket, it was not he however at all times “an Indian” who was enjoying.
Proud Olympian: For twenty-four-time Main champion Novak Djokovic, profitable ‘any medal’ for Serbia is one in all his ‘best priorities and targets’. | Picture credit score: AP
What we’re seeing now’s the shrinking of the area between these two divergent strands. The spirit of tennis is not torn between being international and being nationalistic however is snug within the pores and skin of each.
This has been primarily pushed by high gamers’ modified method in direction of the Olympic Video games. They more and more cherish the camaraderie and the bigger objective of competing for one’s nation somewhat than simply the person self.
“You may solely play a match on the Olympics as soon as each 4 years and it’s a unique feeling whenever you’re carrying the outfit with the nationwide colors,” Angelique Kerber, a three-time Slam titlist, advised Vogue. “Being collectively within the Olympic Village… you don’t get that type of ambiance at a traditional event — not even on the Grand Slams.”
It doesn’t appear to matter that the Video games supply no prize cash. Rating factors, which have been launched at Sydney 2000, have been eliminated forward of Rio 2016. The Olympics additionally doesn’t have an unique slot within the calendar. The Citi Open in Washington DC, one of many key tune-ups earlier than the US Open, is on concurrently.
A outstanding pit cease
But, the massive stars of the sport have made the Olympics a outstanding pit cease, unmindful of the 1000’s of air miles to be clocked, geographies to be traversed and time zones to get adjusted to.
The final 4 singles gold medallists amongst males have been Nadal (Beijing 2008), Murray (London 2012 and Rio 2016) and Alexander Zverev (Tokyo 2020). Venus Williams gained the gold at Sydney 2000, Justine Henin at Athens 2004 and Serena Williams at London 2012. Venus and Serena mixed to safe back-to-back doubles gold medals in 2008 and 2012.
Jack Sock, who gained the doubles bronze with Steve Johnson and combined doubles gold with Bethanie Mattek-Sands at Rio 2016, mentioned forward of Tokyo 2020 that these two medals can be the primary issues he would present his youngsters.
“In case you discuss to the common one who doesn’t know tennis and also you say you gained the Madrid 1000, they’ll take a look at you such as you’re speaking a unique language,” the American opined. “In case you say you gained a gold medal, they’ll know precisely what you imply.”
The transformation may additionally be due to tennis’ rising international footprint. Australia, France, Nice Britain and the USA have been the early hegemonic forces and the championships in these nations kind the 4 most necessary occasions within the calendar. Davis Cup, which started in 1900, gave gamers from these nations a style of nationalistic flavour, and till 1974, there wasn’t a Cup winner aside from these 4.
However the rise of central and japanese Europe, and Asia and the remainder of the Americas, has democratised the scene and given a brand new dimension to tennis’ relationship with nationalism. Russian Yevgeny Kafelnikov profitable gold at Sydney 2000, Chile’s Nicolas Massu at Athens 2004 and Puerto Rico’s Monica Puig at Rio 2016 have been examples of this. Djokovic, a demigod in Serbia, is determined to be the subsequent.
“I had the best honour of carrying the Serbian flag within the opening ceremony [London 2012],” Djokovic advised itftennis.com in Might. “It’s so particular to be a part of the oldest sports activities occasion in historical past. Successful a gold medal or any medal for my nation is a good want and need. It’s one in all my best priorities and targets.”
