Picking contenders for the Olympic Gold in Tennis has always been a dicey affair.
As history would have it, a number of Grand Slam Champions have missed out on adding Olympic medals, in the Singles Category, to their otherwise impressive resumes. Ivan Lendl, Pete Sampras, Boris Becker, Marat Safin and Gustavo Kuerten are some of the former World No.1 players who failed to win an Olympic Singles medal in their illustrious careers.
Only three players in the draw at Rio – Novak Djokovic (Bronze, Beijing 2008), Andy Murray (Gold, London 2012) and Juan Martin Del Potro (Bronze, London 2012) – have won an Olympic medal before. This edition of Olympics has some interesting prospects on offer as far as Men’s Tennis is concerned. Owing to the sheer unpredictability of podium finishes in the past, it could result in new medalists with one favorite in the mix.
With less than 5 days for the much awaited Rio Olympics to kick-start, high profile pull outs in Men’s Tennis have been as a dampener for tennis aficionados and enthusiasts around the world. Last week Roger Federer delivered a shocker when he announced that he was done for the season and that he would be missing the Olympics also in lieu of longevity and ability to play competitive tennis with 100% fitness for the next few years.
Some of the other big names that will be missing in the Men’s Singles category are Milos Raonic and Tomas Berdych. While Rafael Nadal may choose to not play Singles owing his frail left wrist, Raonic and Berdych based their decisions of skipping the prestigious event on the deadly Zika Virus.
The red hot Novak Djokovic and the Wimbledon 2016 Champion Andy Murray will take on a depleted field but the fresh brigade of next gen players will ensure that their Olympic outing is not a walk in the park.
Not only does the ATP season begin and end with the hard courts but it also involves a majority of the tournaments played on them. With the choice of surface at Rio being the fast hard courts, it would probably ensure a level playing field for all players.
5. Marin Cilic
Olympic Seeding: 10
The Croat won his maiden Grand Slam in 2014 at the US Open and has been fluctuating in form ever since. Coached by Goran Ivanisevic, a one Slam wonder, it remains to be seen if Cilic can go one better. Unlike Ivanisevic who won his sole Grand Slam at Wimbledon at the age of 29, Cilic has a couple of years ahead of him to give himself a few more chances of adding another Slam.
With a Quarter Final appearance at this year’s Wimbledon, Cilic proved that he is still a force to reckon with. The fast hard courts at Rio would be conducive for his booming serves and first strike tennis.
If he can bring to Rio the kind of tennis he played at the Flushing Meadows a couple of years ago, he can gun for the Olympic Gold. In the US Open 2014, he swept aside Roger Federer in the Semi Final and romped past Kei Nishikori in the Final without dropping a set. He can annihilate any opponent with his huge serves and barrage of ground strokes if he brings his ‘A’ game on that day.
4. Andy Murray
Olympic Seeding: 2
The Scot brought some cheer to his home nation, which was engulfed in the aftermath of Brexit, by winning his second Wimbledon title last month. Riding on some great chemistry and trust that Murray had shared with his Coach Ivan Lendl in the past, he made their second innings count by winning his third Slam at SW19.
Although it was on the fast hard courts of Flushing Meadows where Murray won his first ever Grand Slam in 2012, he has not fared well on this surface in the last three years. Murray established himself as a competent clay courter under the tutelage of Amelie Mauresmo. It would be interesting to see if Lendl can work some magic to help Murray fulfill his potential on the fast hard courts.
A lack of match practice on hard courts could affect Murray’s prospects at the Rio Olympics. The matches till the Semi Final are played in a best of 3 format. Murray will have to be in top form from match one as he would not have much time to recover if he finds himself trailing from the beginning of the match.
British Olympians Reginald Doherty and Charles Percy Dixon, with 4 Olympic medals each, remain top medalists in Men’s Tennis till date. With two Olympic medals already in his kitty, Murray could be in the elite company of these two British Olympians should he win another couple of medals at Rio.
3. Stan Wawrinka
Olympic Seeding: 3
All Swiss expectations of Olympic glory have fallen squarely on the shoulders of Stan Wawrinka.
With Roger Federer and Belinda Bencic making a last minute decision to keep away from Rio, Wawrinka will have to shoulder the burden of expectations along with Martina Hingis, Timea Bacsinzky and Xenia Knoll.
Wawrinka will have the opportunity of adding a Singles medal to his Olympic Gold in Doubles that he won alongside Federer at the Beijing Olympics in 2008. In case he wins Gold, a tough prospect considering how dominant Djokovic has been, he will achieve what Marc Rosset did in the Barcelona Olympics of 1992.
After an early exit from this year’s Wimbledon, Wawrinka made a deep run at the recently concluded Rogers Cup. Should he get his big serve and lethal backhand going, Wawrinka could be in the Olympic Final with a shout.
2. Novak Djokovic
Olympic Seeding: 1
It is borderline blasphemous to not put Novak Djokovic as the No.1 contender for the Olympic Gold at Rio.
While a shocking third round exit at Wimbledon last month proved that Nole is human, the Serb has once again exalted himself to being the unstoppable force by winning a record fourth Rogers Cup and his 30th ATP Masters 1000 title recently.
Though he has lost the opportunity of adding the Golden Slam, a feat achieved by just one player Steffi Graf, Djokovic does have the opportunity to win the Non-calendar year Golden Slam. The Bryan Brothers are the only players to have achieved the Non-calendar year Golden Slam when they held the 2012 US Open, 2013 Australian Open, 2013 French Open and 2013 Wimbledon Championships along with their Doubles Gold at the London Olympics in 2012.
Would someone play party-pooper at Rio?
Leander Paes ousted Pete Sampras in the Atlanta Olympics of 1996 and Tomas Berdych routed Roger Federer in the Athens Olympics of 2004. The sheer unpredictable nature of the Olympics over the years is the only gremlin that could blow out the lights in Djokovic’s campaign.
Otherwise the Olympic Gold is Nole’s for the taking!
1. Kei Nishikori
Olympic Seeding: 5
Kei Nishikori has won most of his career titles on hard courts. His maiden Grand Slam Final was at the US Open in 2014. He beat an in form Novak Djokovic in the Semi Final that year.
Nishikori’s career has been an injury-riddled one. A rib injury had forced him to withdraw from Wimbledon last month.
However, the Japanese No.1 seems to have recovered from it as he reached the Final of the Rogers Cup overcoming some formidable players in the draw. In the semi-final, he dispatched Stan Wawrinka in straight sets. Though he fell to the eventual winner, Novak Djokovic, in straight sets in the final of the Rogers Cup, Nishikori has got the game to win an Olympic Gold on the fast hard courts at Rio.
Ichiya Kumagae was the first Japanese man to win an Olympic medal in the Men’s Singles category. He bagged an Olympic Silver medal in the Antwerp Olympics of 1920.
Should Nishikori manage to clinch Gold at Rio, he will be the first Japanese to achieve this feat and the second player from his country to win an Olympic medal in the Men’s Singles category.
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