Tennis Qualification to Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympic Games

[Federer91 2,793]

Tennis at the Olympics has always been in a peculiar position. It's a big enough sport with some of the most famous athletes, but with 10+ other sports at the same time, you won't be watching round 1 matches all day. You have to have some legendary matches happening like Federer-Del Potro, Djokovic - Del Potro, or it's the final stages to really get peoples attention. After back-to-back Grand Slams and just a few weeks before another, i don't see how you can devote hours of watching your ordinary Mertens - Pegula matches, when you've seen them all year long. 

 

I honestly think they should have it starting the monday before the Opening Ceremony and have the first 4-5 days only for it (and the usual football). It will fit with the regular tennis calendar and players can go prepare for the US after that and it would be a nice introduction to the competitions and you can still have the medal matches after the Opening Ceremony. 

[Makedonas 2,155]

28 minutes ago, Nickyc707 said:

I'm pretty dubious about this. Unless you're a tennis fan I'm not sure that most people would necessarily notice that the sport was part of the Olympic programme given that sports like athletics, swimming and gymnastics tend to dominate coverage.

I said other than athletics, swimming etc.

 

Do you think more people around the world really watch sailing, shooting, canoeing, handball/water polo group stage matches (outside of the two countries playing, cycling, equestrian than tennis during the Olympics?

[Jur 683]

41 minutes ago, Nickyc707 said:

I'm pretty dubious about this. Unless you're a tennis fan I'm not sure that most people would necessarily notice that the sport was part of the Olympic programme given that sports like athletics, swimming and gymnastics tend to dominate coverage.

That depends on the country, here tennis is always going to be aired on TV before gymnastics.

[NMQ 243]

3 hours ago, Makedonas said:

No, that's not what I meant.

 

The rule (at least until 2016) was that each NOC is allowed no more than 6 tennis players per gender. And only 2 doubles specialists per gender. So Bertens can play singles and play doubles with Schuurs no problem.

 

The Dutch will have a problem on the men's side (assuming these rules are still applicable) because they have 0 singles players and 4 doubles players, but they are only allowed 2 doubles-only players per gender. Hope that explains it better.

The rule says 6 max per gender, 4 max in singles and 2 teams max in doubles, but nothing about only 2 doubles players. I just checked and in Rio Brazil and Great Britain had 3 male "only doubles players" each.

[Nickyc707 382]

2 hours ago, Makedonas said:

I said other than athletics, swimming etc.

 

Do you think more people around the world really watch sailing, shooting, canoeing, handball/water polo group stage matches (outside of the two countries playing, cycling, equestrian than tennis during the Olympics?

I think they watch whatever their local broadcasters are showing and amongst a multitude of sports tennis is pretty insignificant at Olympic level. 

[Nickyc707 382]

1 hour ago, Jur said:

That depends on the country, here tennis is always going to be aired on TV before gymnastics.

Perhaps, but Spain is a small country. Gymnastics is one of the most popular Olympic sports in countries with large viewing publics like China, Japan, Russia and the USA.

[Makedonas 2,155]

1 hour ago, NMQ said:

The rule says 6 max per gender, 4 max in singles and 2 teams max in doubles, but nothing about only 2 doubles players. I just checked and in Rio Brazil and Great Britain had 3 male "only doubles players" each.

That must be right, maybe I was only thinking it forgetting that it is possible for countries to only have 0-2 singles players but a full doubles team.

 

In that case, disregard what I said about the Netherlands and I think also Croatia will benefit in men's doubles.

[Jur 683]

So this is the team  is apparently sending to the games:

7 athletes: 

 

3 Men's in single: Pablo Carreño, Pablo Andujar, Alejandro Davidovich

4 Women's in singles: Garbiñe Muguruza, Paula Badosa, Sara Sorribes, Carla Suárez

 

Carreño / Davidovich will play men's doubles, while Muguruza/Suárez & Badosa/Sorribes will play the women's singles.

 

 

The Federation is waiting if #97 men's seed Roberto Carballes can get a quota.

[Monzanator 4,499]

WTA drama continues as Marketa Vondrousova uses her PR (protected ranking) to secure the Tokyo ticket at the expense of in-form Karolina Muchova.

 

Vondrousova has done nothing since 2019 so this one stings for sure.

 

 

[rybak 3,217]

Kaia Kanepi withdrew from Olympics due to quarantine rules and still possible lack of fans...