Predicitons of 2008 Olympic Tennis Medal Winners

The 2008 Olympic Games tennis competition will be played on hard courts in Beijing that have the same DecoTurf II surface as those used at the US Open. The following predictions are based on the players' histories and recent trends on hard courts, including their overall records and head-to-head match-ups.

Women's Singles

GOLD Serena Williams
SILVER Ana Ivanovic
BRONZE Venus Williams

Men's Singles

GOLD Rafael Nadal
SILVER Roger Federer
BRONZE Novak Djokovic

Predicting the Olympic doubles medalists would be extremely difficult, because many of the great doubles pairs who play on the ATP and WTA tours come from different nations and thus can't play together at the Olympics. How each nation will pair its players for doubles will remain unknown until much closer to the event, and when new partners are paired, we can't assume that two great players will make a great doubles team. Doubles isn't just singles with twice as many people on the court; it's a whole different game, one that requires a special chemistry between partners.

Doubles FAQ

The United States has an almost unique advantage in the doubles competition, having two famous, highly successful, and homegrown doubles teams who also happen to be pairs of siblings: the Bryan brothers, ranked #1 in the world, and the Williams sisters, who have won Olympic gold and multiple majors together. Both pairs should be favored to win gold medals in 2008. Who will win the silver and bronze should remain an intriguing question well into the competition.

Top Contenders

Top Americans

Olympic Tennis Central