Uniquely among all sports, tennis comes in sharply distinct varieties, depending on the court surface. Among the main surfaces, grass is the fastest, clay is the slowest, and hard courts, like those on which the Olympics will be played in Beijing, are in between. Almost every player in the pro game has a best surface. Considering both their overall records and their proficiencies on hard courts, the following players have the best chances to win Olympic tennis medals.
Rafael Nadal (Spain)
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Rafa is the undisputed master of clay, probably the best clay-court player we've ever seen. Nadal owns the last four Roland Garros titles, and he has made the last three Wimbledon finals, winning it in 2008. Rafa hasn't won a major on hard courts yet, but his incredible results and rate of improvement this year seem to be unimpeded by the hard courts of the US Open Series, and he's likely to arrive in Beijing with more confidence than any other player.
Roger Federer (Switzerland)
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With 12 major titles and expected to win several more, Roger is widely considered either the best player in the history of tennis or second best behind Rod Laver. Except for a rough patch during the first half of 2008, when he was hampered by mononucleosis, Roger has, for the last few years, been the king of hard courts, holding four US Opens and three Australians.
Novak Djokovic (Serbia)
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Novak's first major was his singles title at the 2008 Australian Open. Since then, he has continued to prove himself worthy of being grouped with Federer and Nadal in the top tier of men's tennis, and hard courts seem to be his best surface.
Serena Williams (USA)
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Serena owns eight major titles, including three US Opens and one Australian, proving her comfort with hard courts. When Williams is playing her best tennis, almost no one can keep up with her, and she won't be daunted by the occasion. Serena already owns an Olympic gold medal in doubles from the 2000 games, where she paired with sister Venus.
Ana Ivanovic (Serbia)
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At the 2008 French Open, Ana earned her first major title and the #1 world ranking, but she was also a runner-up there in 2007 and at the Australian Open in 2008. Tall and powerful, with fairly long strokes, Ana likes a relatively high and not-too-fast bounce, which she should get in Beijing.
Venus Williams (USA)
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Venus is most at home on grass, as evidenced by her five Wimbledon titles out of seven majors overall. With the fastest serve and the best combination of reach and speed in women's tennis, Venus is always a dangerous opponent, and she's used to competing at the Olympics, having won gold medals in 2000 both in singles and in doubles with sister Serena.
Medal Predictions
Top Americans
Olympic Tennis Central
Medal Predictions
Top Americans
Olympic Tennis Central
