Today, the Olympic games begin for tennis with the men and women's fields containing 64 players each, which is half the amount of players that compete in a grand slam. The top 56 players in the ATP and WTA rankings automatically qualify for the event with a cap of 4 players per country per draw. E.g. The United States can send 4 men and 4 women to play tennis.
In addition, unlike the 2012 games and previous Olympic tournaments, no rankings points will be granted so this really is an event all about bragging rights and national pride. Still, even without any ranking points being granted, this is still viewed as the unofficial fifth grand slam, which means that a lot is on the line from a legacy standpoint. I will preview and recap this event like I do the four grand slams with 10 things to look for and 10 things to take away once the event has concluded.
#1. Will Rafael Nadal have a renaissance? Rafael Nadal was given the opportunity to carry Spain's flag at the Olympics, an honor that I'm sure he will cherish for the rest of his life. He's a guy who has made more than enough money and already cemented himself as one the greatest tennis players of all-time. For him, these Olympic games are all about enhancing his legacy as much as possible and also giving himself a chance to get back in the winner's circle at a major event for the first time since the 2014 French Open. Rafael Nadal is hungry for an Olympic medal and anything that can give him a morale boost. Getting a medal in either singles or doubles would be huge for Rafa and perhaps propel him to bigger and better things in the future.
#2. How much motivation will Serena Williams have? Serena Williams has won 22 grand slam titles, tying her with Steffi Graf for the most in the Open Era. She's won four gold medals (three in doubles and one in singles) and virtually accomplished all of her tennis goals. It'll be interesting to see how motivated she is during the course of the event and how much she wants a gold medal. In my opinion, I think she'll focus more on the doubles side since she really cherishes her time with her sister Venus. Look for Serena and her sister to take gold in the doubles, but in the singles, I'm just not sure how much motivation she has to win it. I'm still gonna pick her to win the event just because she's Serena.
#3. Andy Murray once again has a weight of a nation on him: You would think that winning Wimbledon for a second time and bringing home the gold in London would take the pressure off of Andy Murray. But amazingly, this man still has the weight of the United Kingdom on his shoulders. In wake of Brexit and all the pandemonium that has happened across the pond, the United Kingdom needs as much unifying as possible. Andy Murray carried the Union Jack in the opening ceremonies and once again is being looked to as the one who can rally the Brits together at the Olympic games. Look for Andy Murray to compete hard and make a serious run for gold as the #2 seed in the event due to this weight.
#4. Angelique Kerber can get some revenge and also prep herself for the US Open: Angelique Kerber fell to Serena Williams in the Wimbledon final after defeating her previously at the Australian Open final. Kerber comes into the event as the #2 seed, which means if all goes according to form, she'll face Serena Williams in the final. For Angelique Kerber, she has to view these Olympics as a chance to get some payback at Serena Williams and also give herself a mental boost heading into the US Open, which is also played on the hard courts.
#5. An Olympic gold still eludes Novak Djokovic: Novak Djokovic is on his way to being the greatest tennis player of all-time, but if he wants to cement himself as the greatest player, winning an Olympic gold is something he might need to do. I wrote a blog post about Novak Djokovic needing the French, so I don't want to contradict myself by saying he needed more than just one French Open title. Given that the Olympics only comes around once every four years, winning a gold at the Olympics isn't viewed as a necessity to be the greatest player ever, but considering that Roger Federer's gold medal came in doubles and not singles, getting an Olympic gold medal in singles would be a nice thing for Djokovic to have on his resume for the greatest of all-time debates that will certainly ensue once his career is over.
#6. An Olympic gold medal would be a nice way for Venus Williams to go out: Like her sister Serena, Venus Williams has four Olympic gold medals with three of them coming in doubles. Venus Williams hasn't been in the winner's circle at a grand slam since 2008 and so we are starting to forget how good she was in her prime. Seeing Venus Williams take home an Olympic gold medal in singles would certainly be fun to watch, as it would be a "turn back the clock" sort of moment.
#7. American Steve Johnson could have a breakout event: Steve Johnson is the highest ranked American male in the event, seeded 12th. Outside of Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray, and Rafael Nadal, this event is wide open. A lot of top players decided to withdraw due to either injury or fears of catching the Zika virus, which quite honestly is nothing to be afraid of unless you are pregnant or really old. One of the biggest benefactors of this wave of dropouts could be Steve Johnson, who is really hoping to do everything he can to give US men's tennis new life. As a dark horse of sorts to snag a medal, I got my money on Steve Johnson. He has a lot to play for as the highest ranked American male in this event.
#8. Eugenie Bouchard and Sloane Stephens could both use a boost: Two players who could both really benefit from a strong outing at the Olympics are Eugenie Bouchard of Canada and Sloane Stephens of the United States. Eugenie Bouchard has been as ranked as high as #5 in the world and is now ranked #40. Sloane Stephens has also experienced a bit of a drop off, though not as drastic, falling from #11 in the world to #22. Both of these young ladies really need to find their mojo again and the Olympic games is just the place for them to do it. Sadly, only one of them can do this since they are facing each other in the first round.
#9. Don't sleep on David Ferrer: David Ferrer is the #7 seed in the men's draw and has never gone further than the third round at the Olympic games. However, with all of the withdrawals and also a lack of desire by many to take this event seriously, David Ferrer could take advantage since he's a guy who I know would love to get an Olympic medal. Considering that he has never won a grand slam, it would certainly be a feel good story to see David Ferrer win an Olympic medal. He's a classy player and one of the hardest working players we've ever seen. I'd love to see it happen.
#10. Madison Keys is another player who should be looking to make her mark: Madison Keys is the #7 seed in the women's draw and eager to make her mark as the future of American women's tennis. If she wants to make a deep run at the US Open in a few weeks, she should look to have a strong outing at the Olympics and bring home a medal. If she does, she'll come into New York with a ton of momentum and confidence.
Note: Click here for live scoring updates throughout the Olympics for both singles and doubles.
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