Olympic Tennis: January 2012

Friday, 6 January 2012

Tennis History 2000-2011

From the year 2000 on women’s tennis witnessed the rise of other phenomena in the shape of the William’s sisters. If Steffi Graf had gilded her Grand Slam in 1988, Venus Williams did something similar in 2000. Venus Williams won her first Wimbledon title in the year 2000 and retained it in 2001 after a match against her sister, Serena Williams. Arriving in Sydney unbeaten since the French Open, the elder of the two tennis-playing sisters prevented Russia from taking both singles gold medals when she beat Elena Dementieva to extend her personal unbeaten run to 35 matches. She also took the doubles gold with her sister, Serena.

An innovation for the Sydney Olympic 2000 tennis event was the introduction of ranking points for the men. There is a school of thought that says the Olympics itself is enough of an incentive without the need for a player to earn ranking points. But the counter argument is that, as the Olympic tennis championships are such a prestigious event, the best performances should be a contributory factor in a player’s personal ranking. In Athens Olympics 2004, where concerns that some of the Olympic venues wouldn’t be ready in time were thankfully unfounded, ranking points became available for women, too. Justine Henin, then playing under her married name of Henin-Hardenne, cashed in by taking the singles gold medal, confirming her position as the world’s top player.

As if in revenge for blotting the sisters’ hitherto perfect record at Wimbledon, Venus WIlliams demolished defending 2004 Wimbledon champion Maria Sharpova on her way to the 2005 title. For the second time in just seven years, in 2008, the Wimbledon women’s singles final was once again between the two Williams sisters. It is a testament to their domination of the historic Centre Court that, in the period 2000 - 2008, one of the Williams sisters has been the Wimbledon champion for seven of eight years.

In Beijing Olympics 2008, it was a case of Russian domination in the women’s singles event as Elena Dementieva, Dinara Safina and Vera Zvonareva sealed an impressive clean sweep of gold, silver and bronze. In the final, Dementieva outlasted her fellow countrywoman Safina 36 75 63 to claim what is undoubtedly her biggest achievement in the game, having never managed to win an elusive Grand Slam title. In the men’s singles, Rafael Nadal added an Olympic gold medal to his ever expanding trophy cabinet. Serbia’s Novak Djokovic took bronze with victory over James Blake. The women’s doubles gold medal went, for the second time in their career, to American sisters Venus and Serena Williams, while the men’s doubles will stick long in the memory for something that happened off the court. The Swiss pairing of Roger Federer and Stanislas Wawrinka won the gold medal after a four-set win over Sweden’s Simon Aspelin and Thomas Johansson.

The Wimbledon final of 2008 marked a turning point in the rivalry that existed between Nadal and Federer. The battles were played out publicly on the greatest tennis courts of the world during the Grand Slam tournaments. The feud had been hard fought since the young Nadal shocked Federer by delivering the then Wimbledon champion a straight set defeat at the 2004 Miami Masters.

Today professional tennis is a highly competitive sport, a far cry from the days of palming a ball around on a gentile Frenchman’s lawn. Tournaments are televised and beamed around the world to huge audiences. Tennis is well and truly back in the Olympic family. And when one observes the joy and pride on the faces of those tennis players, like Federer, who have had the honors of carrying their country’s Olympic flag in the opening ceremony, it is clear that, even in a sport where the top players can do so well financially, the five rings really do mean something very special.

The thirtieth Summer Games will be held in the year 2012 in the London Olympic Stadium in London. There will be 300 events in 26 sports, the events included in the schedule are archery, athletics, baseball, basketball, badminton, boxing, canoeing, cycling, diving, equestrian, fencing, football, gymnastics, handball, hockey, judo, modern pentathlon, rowing, sailing, shooting, softball, swimming, synchronized swimming, table tennis, taekwondo, tennis, triathlon, volleyball, water polo, weightlifting and wrestling.

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Tennis History 1991-1999

In the 1990s, Lendl, Edberg, and Becker continued their success, joined by outstanding American players such as Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi, Jim Courier, and Michael Chang. Graf developed a rivalry with Serbian-born Monica Seles, who emerged as a dominant player, winning the U.S., French, and Australian opens in both 1991 and 1992. Navratilova remained one of the highest ranking players until her retirement from singles competition in 1995, and Arantxa Sánchez Vicario of Spain, Jennifer Capriati of the United States, and Gabriela Sabatini of Argentina also encountered success.

The Nineties at Wimbledon belonged to Pete Sampras. The American won the men’s singles title at Wimbledon eight times between 1992 and 2000. Sampras only failed to take the title once in that nine-year stretch, in 1996 when he was knocked out in the quarter final by surprise winner that year Richard Krajicek.

John McEnroe may have lacked Bjorn Borg’s film star looks but he wasn’t short of showmanship. McEnroe is possibly more famous for an incident involving an umpire rather than actually playing tennis. While disputing a line call at Wimbledon in 1981 McEnroe was heard shouting "You can not be serious!" at the embattled umpire. The phrase went on to pass into folk legend and was later the title of McEnroe’s autobiography. McEnroe’s various outbursts even earned him the nickname ‘superbrat’ from the British press. During their careers as adversaries Borg was portrayed as the super cool ice-man and McEnroe as the firebrand. However, while this may be generally an accurate observation, McEnroe never once lost his temper when playing in a match against Borg.

In Olympics 1996, Stone Mountain Park, 16 miles east of Atlanta, was the setting for the 1996 Olympic Tennis Event where the respective singles champions, Andre Agassi and Lindsay Davenport, naturally enjoyed ecstatic support from the large American crowds.The bronze medal went to Jana Novotna in a play-off against Mary Joe Fernandez, who had the compensation of winning gold in the doubles with Gigi Fernandez. That was actually a historic moment for the Fernandez duo, as they became the only players to successfully defend an Olympic tennis title, having also won gold in Barcelona.

Agassi was fortunate to survive a stormy quarterfinal against Wayne Ferreira, in which he might have been disqualified for losing his temper as well as his serve. But, in a one-sided final, he swept away Spain's Sergi Bruguera in 77 minutes. Leander Paes from India earned the bronze.

Todd Woodbridge and Mark Woodforde, won a first tennis gold medal for Australia. What Woodbridge and Woodforde discovered in Atlanta, Yevgeny Kafelnikov had confirmed in Sydney: however many Grand Slam titles you win on the tennis tour, an Olympic gold medal counts for more among a large swathe of sports fans.

Kafelnikov, who had become Russia’s first player to be ranked world No. 1 after winning the French Open in 1996 and Australian Open in 1999, cites his gold medal from the 2000 Sydney Olympics as his greatest achievement, and the one he is most respected for back home. He beat Tommy Haas in the gold medal match. The smile on the face of Arnaud Di Pasquale when he beat Roger Federer to take bronze and Federer’s corresponding dejection also testify to how much any medal means to even the biggest-earning tennis professionals.

In 1998 Steffi Graf became the first and only tennis player to take the coveted Golden Slam title by winning all four Grand Slam. Graf’s 22 Grand Slam wins seem to place her second to Margaret Courts, who has 24 wins. But Graf is the only player to have won all four tournaments at least four times.

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Tennis History 1981-1990

All great players Connors, Borg, and McEnroe continued their successful play in the 1980s and other leading male players of this decade included Czech-born Ivan Lendl, Mats Wilander and Stefan Edberg of Sweden and Boris Becker of Germany, who at the age of 17 became the youngest player ever to win Wimbledon in 1985.

One of the most successful female players ever was Czech-born Martina Navratilova, whose career spanned from the early 1970s to the mid-1990s. During her career, Navratilova won 167 singles titles, including nine Wimbledon titles in 1978, 1979, 1982-1987 and 1990. Another dominant female player was American Chris Evert during the 1970s and 1980s, winning seven French Opens in 1974, 1975, 1979, 1980, 1983, 1985 and in 1986. She also won Six U.S. Opens in 1975-1978, 1980 and in 1982. The rivalry between Navratilova and Evert was one of the most intense and long lasting in tennis history.

In Summer Olympics although only 11 of the world's Top 20 competed in the men's event at Seoul 1988, by the time Barcelona came round four years later, the Olympic appeal had really caught on. All of the world's Top 5 men, Jim Courier, Stefan Edberg, Boris Becker, Goran Ivanisevic and Pete Sampras took part.

Yet at the end of a wonderful event, it was Switzerland's Marc Rosset who carried off the gold along the way he had beaten both Courier and Ivanisevic, the proud bearer of the Croatian flag during the opening ceremony. Ivanisevic won a bronze medal in singles and, with Goran Prpic, another bronze in doubles.

In doubles the Germany's Boris Becker and Michael Stich, who won the gold medal. With the King and Queen of Spain as ardent supporters, there was naturally considerable pressure on the Barcelona native Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario to win gold in the women's singles, but in the semifinals she was outlasted by an inspired Jennifer Capriati. Capriati went on to play one of her greatest matches to beat Graf from a set down in the final.

In 1988 Steffi Graf from Germany had an outstanding year, capturing the grand slam and the Olympic gold medal. Steffi Graf is the most successful tennis player of all time. Graf’s 22 Grand Slam wins seem to place her second to Margaret Courts, who has 24 wins. But Graf is the only player to have won all four tournaments at least four times. Other leading female players of the 1980s included American Tracy Austin and Czech Hana Mandilikova.

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Thursday, 5 January 2012

Tennis History 1960-1980

During the 1960s, Australians players Rod Laver, Fred Stolle, and John Newcombe continued that country's tennis success, and other male players who became prominent included Manuel Santana of Spain and Arthur Ashe(Link to Txt)and Stan Smith of the United States. Leading female players included Maria Bueno of Brazil, Margaret Smith Court, Virginia Wade of England, and Billie Jean King(Link to Txt) of the United States, who won Wimbledon six times (1966-1968, 1972, 1973, 1975).

Billie Jean King can be thanked for bringing women’s tennis into the limelight. Billie Jean King run of success between 1966 and 1979 King won a record 20 Wimbledon titles. Her haul consisted of six singles, 10 doubles and four mixed doubles championships. Billie Jean King finally bowed out of Wimbledon, aged 39, after suffering defeat at the hands of teenager Andrea Jaeger in the 1983 Wimbledon semi-finals.

In 1968 the open era began when tournaments were opened to professionals as well as amateurs. In the 1970s Newcombe, Ashe, and Smith continued their success, joined by such players as Ilie Nastase of Romania and Guillermo Vilas of Argentina. Jimmy Connors, whose career spanned from the early 1970s to the mid-1990s, won five U.S. Opens (1974, 1976, 1978, 1982, 1983). Björn Borg of Sweden won five consecutive Wimbledon titles (1976-1980). Borg's rivalry with American player John McEnroe during this period ranks as one of the best in tennis history. Among female players, Court, Wade, and King continued their success, joined by Australian Evonne Goolagong.

Since the early Seventies tennis has enjoyed a succession of pin up figures. Borg won five singles titles at Wimbledon, helping himself to 11 Grand Slam singles titles along the way. His first Wimbledon men’s singles championship came when he was just 20 years and one month old. The win made him the youngest ever Wimbledon champion. He secured his fifth consecutive title at Wimbledon in 1980, defeating his arch-rival John McEnroe in what is considered the best ever Wimbledon final.

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Tennis History 1941-1959

During the next decade American players such as Pancho Gonzales and Jack Kramer continued their successful play. Pancho Segura of Ecuador, whose career would continue into the 1960s, also started playing internationally in the 1940s. Dominant female players who began their careers at this time included Americans Pauline Betz, winner of four U.S. championships (1942-1944, 1946) and Louise Brough, winner of four Wimbledon titles (1948-1950, 1955).

In the 1950s, Australia became a tennis power, and Australian men won the Davis Cup 15 times from 1950 to 1967, led by outstanding players such as Frank Sedjman, Ken Rosewall, Lew Hoad, Roy Emerson, and Ashley Cooper. American Tony Trabert also became a premier player during this time. Maureen Connolly was the dominant female player of the early 1950s, winning the grand slam in 1953. Althea Gibson won both the Wimbledon and the U.S. championships in 1957 and 1958, becoming the first black player to win those tournaments.

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Tennis History 1901-1940

At the beginning of the 20th century the major international tournaments were Wimbledon , the US Open, the French Open and the Australian Open all form what has is known on the tennis calendar as the ‘Grand Slam’. These four have been the most important, most watched and most lucrative championships since the birth of modern tennis. Early Wimbledon men's champions included British players Arthur Gore and brothers Reggie and Laurie Doherty. Dorothea Douglass Lambert Chambers of England won the women's title at Wimbledon seven times (1903, 1904, 1906, 1910, 1911, 1913, and 1914). The U.S. men's championships were dominated by American William Larned, who won seven times (1901, 1902, 1907-1911). Americans Elisabeth Moore and Hazel Hotchkiss Wightman both won several U.S. women's championships in the early 1900s, and Norwegian-born Molla Mallory won eight such titles (1915-1918, 1920-1922, 1926).

In 1904 Olympic Games in St Louis there were 45 competitors for the two tennis events that were staged, the men's singles and men's doubles. Americans struck tennis gold for the first time, with Beals Wright winning the singles, and then partnering Edgar Leonard to success in the doubles. In 1908, the format for Olympic tennis was changed again. Not only were the women's singles reinstated but, on this occasion, two separate tennis events were held. The first, on covered courts in May, and the second on the grass courts of The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, in July. For the indoor event, Sweden and Great Britain were the only countries represented, with Britain's Arthur Gore who was to go on to win Wimbledon a few weeks later, defeating his teammate George Caridia to take the gold medal. There was also an all-British final in the women's singles in which Gladys Eastlake-Smith finally overcame Alice Greene.

In the 1920s British, American, and French players were the most successful in international play. American Bill Tilden dominated the men's game, winning Wimbledon three times in 1920, 1921, and 1930 and the U.S. championships seven times in 1920-1925 and 1929. French players Jean Borotra, René Lacoste, and Henri Cochet were also successful, particularly at Wimbledon, which one of the three of them won each year from 1924 to 1929. Suzanne Lenglen of France became the first player to win Triple Crown of Ladies Singles, Ladies Doubles and Mixed Doubles. Suzanne Lenglen and Helen Wills Moody of the United States were the leading female players. The idea of seeding players was introduced for the first time in 1927.

In the 1930s outstanding men's players included Don Budge and Ellsworth Vines of the United States and Fred Perry of England. Miss Dorothy Round and Fred Perry won both the Wimbledon Men’s and Ladies Singles titles. It has so far proven to be the last British double. During the same period Moody continued her success, finishing her career with eight Wimbledon titles (1927-1930, 1932, 1933, 1935, 1938), seven U.S. championship titles (1923-1925, 1927-1929, 1931), and four French championship titles (1928-1930, 1932). Other leading female players included Alice Marble and Helen Jacobs of the United States and Dorothy Round of England.

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Tennis History 1870-1900

The popularity of lawn tennis had overtaken croquet in England. For this reason, the All England Croquet Club embraced the sport and designated certain croquet lawns to be used for tennis. It was this natural supply of venues combined with the already existing framework for a racquet game that resulted in the birth of the modern game in England. In 1874, Major Walter Clopton Wingfield took out a patent in London for a form of tennis with very similar rules and equipment to the modern game. Many players and observers were unhappy with Wingfield’s patented rules, even after he modified them in 1875.

At this time, croquet courts were a numerous feature in the gardens of the upper and middle classes as well as being found in some public parks. The smooth grass croquet courts proved easily adaptable for the game of tennis. A landmark event in the history of tennis occurred in 1877 when the All England Club held the first ever tournament at Wimbledon. The organising committee of the tournament decided to use a rectangular court rather than Wingfield’s hour-glass style where the court narrowed at the net. At this point the net was still five feet high at the sides and the service boxes 26 feet deep. By 1882 the rules of the game had evolved into those we now recognise in tennis today.

The United States Tennis Association was formed on 21 May 1881. This was formed in an attempt to standardise rules to enable both national and international tournaments to be held. The first U.S. Open followed shortly, still then known as the U.S. National Men’s Singles Championship, it was held in August 1881 at Newport, Rhode Island. The U.S. National women’s Singles Championship was established in 1887.

Tennis spent 64 years outside the Olympic family and because of this it is easily forgotten that it was one of the original sports when the first modern Olympiad was staged in 1896. The competition took place in a tent, with some matches being played outside in the centre of the Velodrome. John Boland of Ireland was the first Olympic tennis winner. No women's events in any sport were held that first year, but four years later the women were admitted as the Summer Olympic Games moved to Paris. Great Britain made a clean sweep of the gold medals for the four tennis events that were played. Charlotte Cooper the Wimbledon champion of 1895, 1896 and 1898, beat Helene Prevost in the women’s singles final to claim the distinction of being the first woman in any sport to win an Olympic gold medal.

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Tennis History – Beginnings

The earliest recognisable relative to tennis, as we know it, was "jeu de paume", played in 11th century France. Played in a monastery courtyard, the game used the walls and sloping roofs as part of the court and the palm of the hand to hit the ball. Early tennis balls were often very hard, even wooden, with leather balls coming later. It wasn’t until the 1850s that Charles Goodyear, of Goodyear tyre fame, invented vulcanised rubber and allowed long lasting balls to be manufactured from natural rubber. Previously, natural rubber would only last a matter of days in an outside environment such as a tennis court before perishing.

The tennis we know today is more accurately known as Lawn Tennis. It also takes another form as Court Tennis, where four walls surround the court. Tennis courts started to appear in America during the late 1800s. By the late 19th century, the popularity of lawn tennis had overtaken croquet in England. For this reason, the All England Croquet Club embraced the sport and designated certain croquet lawns to be used for tennis. It was this natural supply of venues combined with the already existing framework for a racquet game that resulted in the birth of the modern game in England.

At this time, croquet courts were a numerous feature in the gardens of the upper and middle classes as well as being found in some public parks. The smooth grass croquet courts proved easily adaptable for the game of tennis. The existence of perfectly good playing surfaces without the need for much in the way of modification or expenditure helped the game to expand rapidly in popularity. The famous All England Lawn Tennis And Croquet Club, better known simply as ‘ Wimbledon ’, was once a croquet club. Tennis soon overtook croquet as the sport of choice there and at one time the word croquet was even removed from the club’s name.

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Olympic Tennis Rules – Code of Conduct

Tennis is a sport usually played on a rectangular leveled plane Tennis court. In tennis each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court with the aim of scoring that an opponent cannot successfully return it. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all ages. The sport can be played by anyone who can hold a racket. International Tennis Federation (ITF) is the governing body of tennis in the world.

Tennis made its debut at the inaugural modern Olympic Games in 1896 until the Games of the VIII Olympiad, Paris 1924. Tennis withdrew from the Olympic program after 1924 to a difference of opinion between the IOC and the International Tennis Federation. The International Tennis Federation, or ITF, campaigned furiously to have the sport returned to the games. Tennis made its Olympic return as a demonstration sport in 1968. In 1984, tennis was given a spot as a demonstration sport for youths 21 and under. Four years later, the International Olympic Committee reinstated tennis as a full medal sport at the Seoul, South Korea, and Olympic Games. Today, Olympic competition includes men’s and women’s singles and doubles.

Olympic Tennis Code of Conduct

The International Olympic Committee mandates that all players put their best effort forth in every match and refrain from any unsportsmanlike conduct, including yelling, cursing or damaging equipment on the court. Violation of the code of conduct during a match incurs a fine of up to $10,000. Players may not accept any financial contributions or rewards for their play other than those given by the International Olympic Committee. Accepting bribes results in immediate suspension from Olympic play indefinitely and the player incurs a fine up to $250,000.

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Olympic Tennis Rules – National Representation

Tennis is a sport usually played on a rectangular leveled plane Tennis court. In tennis each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court with the aim of scoring that an opponent cannot successfully return it. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all ages. The sport can be played by anyone who can hold a racket. International Tennis Federation (ITF) is the governing body of tennis in the world.

Tennis made its debut at the inaugural modern Olympic Games in 1896 until the Games of the VIII Olympiad, Paris 1924. Tennis withdrew from the Olympic program after 1924 to a difference of opinion between the International Olympic Committee and the International Tennis Federation. Women Tennis made its debut in 1900 Summer Olympic Games. Tennis made its Olympic return as a demonstration sport in 1968 and 1984 and has featured on the Olympic program since the Games of the XXIV Olympiad, Seoul 1988. Today, Olympic competition includes men’s and women’s singles and doubles.

Olympic Tennis National Representation

Olympic tennis selected players to compete in Olympic tennis must be a national of the country he is chosen to represent. If the competitor has a dual nationality, he may represent either nation in Olympic Tennis as long as he has not represented a different country at the Olympics or continental and regional championships. Males selected must be at least 14 years of age by the opening day of the Olympics, while females must be 15 years old.

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Wednesday, 4 January 2012

Olympic Tennis Rules - Team Selection

Tennis is an Olympic sport usually played between two players (singles) or between two teams of two players each (doubles) or between two teams of two players one male and one female (mix doubles) on a rectangular tennis court. Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court with the aim of scoring that an opponent cannot successfully return it.

Tennis made its debut at the inaugural modern Olympic Games in 1896 until the Games of the VIII Olympiad, Paris 1924. Women first played Olympic tennis in 1900. Tennis withdrew from the Olympic program after 1924 to a difference of opinion between the IOC and the International Tennis Federation. Tennis made its Olympic return as a demonstration sport in 1968 and 1984 and has featured on the Olympic program since the Games of the XXIV Olympiad, Seoul 1988. Today, tennis is played at all levels of society at all ages. The sport can be played by anyone who can hold a racket, including people in wheelchairs.

Olympic Tennis Team Selection

Each of the singles tournaments has 64 players, and each of the doubles tournaments has 32 teams. The Olympic Committee selects the first 48 players for the singles tournaments based on international rankings. Fourteen of the remaining players are selected based on many factors. These factors are rankings within the ITF, whether the player's country is represented at the Olympics, how many players are in the tournament and the player's geographical location. The final two slots are specially selected after careful consideration by the International Olympic Committee and the ITF jointly. Doubles tournaments have 24 teams selected based on rankings and then the eight remaining slots are filled by the ITF based on the same criteria as the singles.

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Olympic Tennis Rules - Match Play

Tennis has a storied history as an Olympic event. Tennis made its debut at the inaugural modern Olympic Games in 1896 until the Games of the VIII Olympiad, Paris 1924. Tennis withdrew from the Olympic program after 1924 to a difference of opinion between the IOC and the International Tennis Federation. The International Tennis Federation, or ITF, campaigned furiously to have the sport returned to the games. Tennis made its Olympic return as a demonstration sport in 1968. In 1984, tennis was given a spot as a demonstration sport for youths 21 and under. Four years later, the International Olympic Committee reinstated tennis as a full medal sport at the Seoul, South Korea, and Olympic Games. Today, Olympic competition includes men’s and women’s singles and doubles.

Olympic Tennis Match Play

The rules and regulations set forth by the ITF govern match play in an Olympic tennis event. Competitors play each game to a total of four points, and a player or team must win by two points to win the game. The first player or team to win six games with at least a two-game advantage wins the set. All matches are played to the best of three sets, except for the men's singles and doubles finals, which are played to the best of five sets. According to the rules used by the Olympic Committee at the 2008 Beijing games, any play issue that arises and is not covered by ITF rules must be resolved in accordance with the Olympic Charter.

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Olympic Tennis - Competition Procedure

Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all ages. The sport can be played by anyone who can hold a racket, including people in wheelchairs.

Tennis made its debut at the inaugural modern Olympic Games in 1896 until the Games of the VIII Olympiad, Paris 1924. Women first played Olympic tennis in 1900. Tennis withdrew from the Olympic program after 1924 to a difference of opinion between the IOC and the International Tennis Federation. Tennis made its Olympic return as a demonstration sport in 1968 and 1984 and has featured on the Olympic program since the Games of the XXIV Olympiad, Seoul 1988. Today, Olympic competition includes men’s and women’s singles and doubles.

Competition Procedure

As with most tournaments, Olympic tennis is a knockout competition. All matches are played best of three sets except the men’s singles and doubles finals, which are best of five. In all four divisions, the semi-final winners play to decide the gold and silver medals, and the semi-final losers play for the bronze.

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Tennis - International Lawn Tennis Federation

International Lawn Tennis Federation is the governing body of tennis. The International Tennis Federation (ITF) was founded in 1924 as the International Lawn Tennis Federation (ILTF), changing its name in 1977. Tennis made its debut at the inaugural modern Olympic Games in 1896. Tennis withdrew from the Olympic programme after 1924. It did not return as a medal sport until 1988. Today, Olympic competition includes men’s and women’s singles and doubles.

As a governing body the Federation promotes and develops the sport to make it a truly global sport available to all in a non-racial, non-political form and to preserve the integrity and independence of tennis as a sport.

Currently, the federation has 202 member associations from countries in every continent. The federation reaches out to all its members through its six regional associations. The Asian Tennis Federation, Confederacion SudAmericana de Tenis, Confederacion SudAmericana de Tenis, COTECC, Oceania Tennis Federation, and Tennis Europe.

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