Tennis Olympics qualification | Who’s playing and how does it work?

Usually the biggest event in the tennis calendar is the upcoming Grand Slams. This year, however, there’s something else on the horizon: the Olympics. Tennis will be returning to the clay courts of Paris for the prestigious tournament this July, giving players the opportunity to get their hands on a coveted Olympic medal.

Considering the Olympics isn’t a common occurrence in the tennis calendar, you wouldn’t be blamed for wondering how it works. Who gets to compete? How do they qualify? How many players are allowed from each country?

If you’re asking yourself these questions, then you’re in the right place. Read on, because we detail all you need to know about tennis at the Olympics this year, outlining the qualification process plus some of the big names we’ll see in action.

How does qualification work for the Olympics tennis?

First thing’s first: how do players qualify to play tennis at the 2024 Paris Olympics? Well, it’s not the usual way they qualify for tournaments on the ATP or WTA Tours. Not exactly.

The singles events in the Olympics will consist of 64 players each. Of these, 56 will be determined by the ATP/WTA rankings, as of June 10, 2024.

However, there’s a caveat. Only a maximum of four players from each National Olympic Committee (read: country) are allowed to compete. These four players must be the highest ranked players from that country, be selected by their committees, and meet minimum requirements for participation in Davis Cup/Billie Jean Cup.

The remaining eight spots will be filled by France (one) and ITF Places (seven). These ITF Places are winners of the 2023 Pan-American Games, 2022 Asian Games and 2023 African Games, as well as one universal entry. Plus, any past Grand Slam or Olympic champions who are in the top 400, but haven’t qualified through other means.

In essence, this means that some very lowly ranked players will get the opportunity to compete, while others who are ranked higher, won’t. A lot depends on how many players are interested in competing from each country.

Who’s competing in the men’s singles tennis event at the Olympics?

The majority of the tennis players competing in the men’s singles at the Olympics have been determined. While this list does not become official until July 4, 2024, here’s who will be participating at this stage:

Qualified based on ranking

• Jannik Sinner
• Carlos Alcaraz
• Novak Djokovic
• Alexander Zverev
• Daniil Medvedev
• Andrey Rublev
• Casper Ruud
• Hubert Hurkacz
• Alex de Minaur
• Rafael Nadal
• Stefanos Tsitsipas
• Taylor Fritz
• Tommy Paul
• Holger Rune
• Ugo Humbert
• Alexander Bublik
• Félix Auger-Aliassime
• Pablo Carreño Busta
• Sebastián Báez
• Nicolás Jarry
• Adrian Mannarino
• Karen Khachanov
• Tallon Griekspoor
• Alejandro Tabilo
• Ji?í Lehe?ka
• Sebastian Korda
• Francisco Cerúndolo
• Frances Tiafoe
• Lorenzo Musetti
• Tomás Martín Etcheverry
• Alejandro Davidovich Fokina
• Tomáš Machá?
• Matteo Arnaldi
• Jan-Lennard Struff
• Gaël Monfils
• Jordan Thompson
• Arthur Fils
• Cameron Norrie
• Jack Draper
• Fábián Marozsán
• Roman Safiullin
• Laslo Djere
• Nuno Borges
• Alexei Popyrin
• Sebastian Ofner
• Miomir Kecmanovi?
• Márton Fucsovics
• Dušan Lajovi?
• Lorenzo Sonego
• Alexander Shevchenko
• Dan Evans
• Facundo Díaz Acosta
• Dominik Koepfer
• Thiago Seyboth Wild
• Emil Ruusuvuori
• Sumit Nagal
• Jakub Menšík

Qualified through ITF Places

• Zhang Zhizhen
• Thiago Monteiro
• Tomas Barrios Vera
• Moez Echargui
• Benjamin Hassan

Of those eligible, only one–Ben Shelton–has opted not to compete at the Olympics. The American has chosen to skip the event in order to focus on the US Open.

Other points of note are that both Rafael Nadal and Pablo Carreno Busta are using their protected rankings to qualify. This means the likes of Pedro Martinez and Jaume Munar, who are ranked higher than them currently, miss out.

One of the biggest news is that Nadal will join Alcaraz for the doubles event at the Olympics this year.

Several big names have also failed to make the cut due to missed Davis Cup requirements. World No 10 Grigor Dimitrov, for example, is ineligible to compete. 

Other unlucky players are those who are ranked highly, yet miss out due to their country’s quota being full. Chris Eubanks, for example, sits well within the world’s top 50, but is the sixth ranked American and therefore cannot participate.

Who’s competing in the women’s singles tennis event at the Olympics?

Same goes for the women’s singles event–the majority of the list is known now, though not official yet. Here’s how it’s shaping up:

Qualified based on ranking

• Iga Swiatek
• Coco Gauff
• Aryna Sabalenka
• Elena Rybakina
• Marketa Vondrousova
• Jessica Pegula
• Jasmine Paolini
• Maria Sakkari
• Ons Jabeur
• Danielle Collins
• Madison Keys
• Jelena Ostapenko
• Daria Kasatkina
• Liudmila Samsonova
• Ekaterina Alexandrova
• Marta Kostyuk
• Beatriz Haddad Maia
• Elina Svitolina
• Caroline Garcia
• Barbora Krejcikova
• Dayana Yastremska
• Linda Nosková
• Sorana Cîrstea
• Katie Boulter
• Kate?ina Siniaková
• Angelique Kerber
• Leylah Fernandez
• Yuan Yue
• Donna Vekic
• Wang Xinyu
• Yulia Putintseva
• Clara Burel
• Elisabetta Cocciaretto
• Magda Linette
• Anhelina Kalinina
• Naomi Osaka
• Ana Bogdan
• Irina-Camelia Begu
• Wang Xiyu
• Magdalena Frech
• Sara Sorribes Tormo
• Tatjana Maria
• Arantxa Rus
• Nadia Podoroska
• Cristina Buc?a
• Bianca Andreescu
• Diane Parry
• Clara Tauson
• Jaqueline Cristian
• Lucia Bronzetti
• Viktoriya Tomova
• Varvara Gracheva
• Viktorija Golubic
• Laura Siegemund
• Moyuka Uchijima
• Petra Marti?
• Anna Karolína Schmiedlová

Qualified through ITF Places

• Zheng Qinwen
• Mayar Sherif
• Laura Pigossi
• Maria Lourdes Carle
• Danka Kovinic

Olympic tennis qualification, or the lack thereof, is a much tougher pill for the women to swallow. This is thanks to the high concentration of Individual Neutral Athletes (read: Russian/Belarusian) and Americans.

Big names like world No 17 Emma Navarro, No 19 Victoria Azarenka and No 23 Mirra Andreeva all miss out on playing at the Olympics because there are four other players from their countries ranked higher than them already. 

Who do you think will win the gold medals at the Olympics this year? Can Novak Djokovic complete the career golden slam, or will we see more upsets in Paris?