Tennis at the Summer Olympics Governing body ITF Events 5 (men: 2; women: 2; mixed: 1) Games
1924
1928
1932
1936
1948
1952
1956
1960
1964
1968
1972
1976
Note: demonstration or exhibition sport years indicated in italics
Tennis was part of the Summer Olympic Games program from the inaugural 1896 Summer Olympics , but was dropped after the 1924 Summer Olympics due to disputes between the International Lawn Tennis Federation and the International Olympic Committee over how to define amateur players.[1] [2] After two appearances as a demonstration sport in 1968 and 1984 (with a U-21 age limit),[3] it returned as a full medal sport at the 1988 Summer Olympics open for all players regardless of their age and status and has been played at every edition of the Games since then.[4]
In 1896, 1900, 1904, 1988, and 1992, semifinal losers shared bronze medals. In all other years, a playoff match for the bronze medal was staged.
In the past, results from the Olympics used to have ranking points that the ATP and WTA added to their players annual totals in singles for that calendar year. This occurred from the 2004 Athens until the 2012 London editions. No points were awarded for the editions prior and for the 2016 Rio Olympics . While the ranking points amount did not equate with those given at the Grand Slam tournaments, the Olympic tournaments have increased in perceived importance since their reintroduction, with some players, critics and sports pundits considering winning the gold at the Olympics just as prestigious as winning a Grand Slam title.[5] [6]
A player who wins an Olympic gold medal and all four Grand Slam events in the same year is said to have won a Golden Slam . As of 2016, Steffi Graf is the only player to have completed this achievement.[7]
Surface [ edit ]
The playing surface of the court varies between Olympic Games. It has been on hard court for every game since 1984 except for the 1992 Olympics (which was on a clay court ) and the 2012 Olympics (which was played on a grass court ). The changing playing surface gives certain players different advantages and disadvantages not seen in most other Olympic sports.
(d) = demonstration event , (e) = exhibition event
Champions and venues since 1988 [ edit ]
Participating nations [ edit ]
Nation
96
00
04
08
12
20
24
28–64
68
72–80
84
88
92
96
00
04
08
12
16
20
Years
Algeria
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
1
–
–
–
1
–
–
–
2
Argentina
–
–
–
–
–
–
5
–
1
5
6
8
8
9
6
7
6
10
Armenia
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
1
1
1
–
–
–
3
Australasia
–
–
–
–
1
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
1
Australia
1
2
–
–
–
1
2
–
3
6
7
7
10
7
8
6
10
10
Austria
–
–
–
3
3
–
–
–
2
3
5
1
3
1
3
3
2
11
Bahamas
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
2
2
2
2
2
–
–
5
Barbados
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
1
1
Belarus
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
2
4
2
5
3
2
6
Belgium
–
–
–
–
–
16
8
–
–
–
1
3
3
3
2
5
3
9
Benin
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
1
–
–
–
–
1
Bermuda
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
1
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
1
Bohemia
–
1
–
4
8
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
3
Bolivia
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
1
–
–
–
–
1
Bosnia and Herzegovina
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
1
–
–
2
2
Brazil
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
1
1
3
4
3
4
3
4
4
7
10
Bulgaria
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
2
3
2
–
1
1
2
2
7
Canada
–
–
–
3
–
–
–
–
2
7
5
6
4
2
3
5
4
10
Chile
–
–
–
–
–
–
2
–
–
–
1
2
2
2
2
–
2
7
China
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
1
2
5
4
3
4
8
4
5
9
Chinese Taipei
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
1
–
–
3
2
1
3
3
5
7
Colombia
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
2
2
–
4
3
4
Costa Rica
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
1
–
–
–
–
1
Ivory Coast
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
1
–
2
–
–
–
–
–
1
Croatia
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
2
4
5
5
1
2
4
7
Cyprus
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
1
–
1
–
2
Czech Republic
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
4
7
8
11
8
7
6
Czechoslovakia
–
–
–
–
–
7
5
–
–
5
5
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
4
Denmark
–
–
–
–
10
3
5
2
1
3
2
2
1
–
1
1
1
12
Dominican Republic
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
1
–
–
–
–
1
2
Ecuador
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
4
–
–
–
3
–
–
1
–
–
3
El Salvador
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
1
–
–
1
Estonia
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
2
2
–
–
2
Finland
–
–
–
–
–
–
4
–
1
–
–
–
–
1
1
1
–
5
France
1
14
–
1
6
10
10
2
4
5
7
4
7
9
8
7
9
16
Georgia
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
2
1
2
Germany
1
–
1
5
7
–
–
–
–
–
6
3
5
4
2
7
8
11
Great Britain
2
6
–
22
11
8
10
–
3
5
6
5
6
1
2
8
7
15
Greece
7
–
–
–
–
1
3
–
2
3
4
2
1
4
2
–
–
10
Haiti
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
1
1
–
1
1
–
–
–
–
4
Hong Kong
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
1
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
1
Hungary
1
–
–
3
6
–
5
–
–
2
1
5
5
4
2
2
2
12
India
–
–
–
–
–
–
6
–
1
3
2
2
4
2
4
7
4
10
Indonesia
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
1
3
5
2
2
2
–
–
–
6
Ireland
–
–
–
–
–
–
4
–
–
2
2
2
–
–
–
–
–
4
Israel
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
1
4
1
–
–
3
4
3
1
7
Italy
–
–
–
–
–
4
8
3
4
5
8
8
6
6
8
7
7
12
Japan
–
–
–
–
–
2
4
2
2
4
5
7
5
4
3
3
6
12
Kazakhstan
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
3
2
2
Latvia
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
2
–
–
–
1
–
1
3
Liechtenstein
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
1
1
2
Lithuania
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
1
1
Luxembourg
–
–
–
–
–
–
1
–
–
–
–
1
1
2
–
1
1
6
Madagascar
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
2
2
–
1
–
–
–
3
Mexico
–
–
–
–
–
–
2
6
1
5
4
3
2
–
–
–
2
8
Moldova
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
1
1
Montenegro
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
1
1
Morocco
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
1
–
2
1
1
2
–
–
–
5
Netherlands
–
–
–
2
1
–
5
–
1
1
5
5
3
–
–
2
3
10
New Zealand
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
3
–
1
–
–
1
1
2
5
Nigeria
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
1
3
–
1
–
–
–
–
–
3
Norway
–
–
–
–
7
3
4
–
–
–
2
1
1
–
–
–
–
6
Paraguay
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
2
2
–
1
–
–
1
1
4
Peru
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
3
–
2
–
–
1
–
–
–
3
Philippines
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
1
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
1
Poland
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
1
3
2
–
2
6
7
7
7
Portugal
–
–
–
–
–
–
1
–
–
–
2
2
2
–
–
–
2
5
Puerto Rico
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
3
1
–
2
–
–
1
–
–
1
5
Romania
–
–
–
–
–
–
3
–
–
–
5
4
3
2
2
5
6
8
Russia
–
–
–
–
2
–
–
–
–
–
–
4
5
9
9
10
8
7
Serbia and Montenegro
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
1
–
–
–
–
1
Serbia
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
4
6
6
3
Slovakia
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
5
5
7
4
4
3
6
Slovenia
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
4
–
3
4
–
4
1
5
South Africa
–
–
–
3
3
5
4
–
–
–
6
6
5
–
2
–
–
8
Soviet Union
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
4
–
7
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
2
South Korea
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
1
5
4
5
4
2
1
–
–
7
Spain
–
–
–
–
–
4
8
3
2
4
6
7
7
11
9
12
9
12
Sweden
–
–
–
4
16
8
4
1
2
3
6
4
5
4
5
3
1
14
Switzerland
–
–
–
–
–
3
4
–
2
2
4
3
3
4
5
2
2
11
Thailand
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
2
2
3
2
1
–
2
4
Togo
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
1
–
–
1
Tunisia
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
1
–
–
1
2
2
4
Turkey
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
1
1
Ukraine
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
2
2
4
2
6
5
Unified Team
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
5
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
1
United States
–
5
35
–
1
–
9
6
7
7
7
7
10
10
10
12
11
14
Uruguay
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
1
–
–
–
–
1
2
Uzbekistan
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
2
1
–
1
1
1
5
Venezuela
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
3
4
1
1
–
–
4
West Germany
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
4
3
5
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
3
Yugoslavia
–
–
–
–
–
–
1
–
2
3
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
3
Zimbabwe
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
1
3
2
2
3
3
1
–
–
7
Nations
6
4
2
10
14
14
27
15
34
38
48
55
52
52
48
44
56
—
Players
13
26
36
50
82
75
124
45
64
129
177
176
182
170
169
184
184
184
—
Nation
96
00
04
08
12
20
24
28–64
68
72–80
84
88
92
96
00
04
08
12
16
20
Years
Medal tables [ edit ]
All years (1896–1924, 1988–2016) [ edit ]
1988–2016 [ edit ]
1896–1924 [ edit ]
Multiple medal winners (1896–2016) [ edit ]
See also [ edit ]
References [ edit ]
^ Soltis, Greg (July 27, 2012). "Olympic Events Through History" . LiveScience . Retrieved 2012-08-01 .
^ Williams, Wythe (July 27, 1928). "SOCCER AND TENNIS BARRED IN OLYMPICS" . The New York Times . Retrieved 2012-08-01 .
^ "Olympic Tennis Event – History: Overview" . International Tennis Federation . Retrieved 2012-08-01 .
^ "2 More Olympic Games" . The New York Times . October 2, 1981. Retrieved 2012-08-01 .
^ "Olympics or Slams – What's More Important For Tennis Players?" . Let, Second Serve. July 12, 2012. Retrieved April 5, 2015 .
^ Paul Fein (September 20, 2012). "How Important Is an Olympic Gold Medal in Tennis?" . World Tennis Magazine. Retrieved October 29, 2013 .
^ Tignor, Steve (30 July 2015). "1988: Steffi Graf wins the Golden Slam" . Tennis.com . Retrieved 17 September 2017 .
External links [ edit ]
Summer sports Winter sports 2020 addition Past sports Demonstration sports Unofficial sports