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Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray are two of the best tennis players of all time. Apart from their Grand Slam triumphs, the two have also enjoyed Olympic glory.
The Olympic Games is the pinnacle of global sporting excellence, uniting the world's best athletes in a celebration of competition, camaraderie, and national pride.
Tennis was introduced in the inaugural edition in 1896 but was discontinued after 1924, leading to the culmination of the amateur era. The sport made its return to the Olympics in Seoul 1988 and has since been held every year. That year marked the first time in the Open Era when tennis was included in the sporting event.
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Over the years, several greats of the game have had the Olympic gold being placed around their neck while there have also been a few surprises along the way.
On that note, let us take a look at all the Olympics men's singles champions in tennis throughout the Open Era.
#1 Miloslav Mecir:
The Seoul Games in 1988 proved to be the launchpad for tennis in the Open Era, and has been held at every edition of the Olympics ever since. Miloslav Mecir of the erstwhile Czechoslovakia claimed the gold medal back then by defeating Tim Mayotte of the USA.
The “Big Cat,” as he was fondly known for his exceptional court coverage and footwork, his career witnessed the complete transformation of the tennis racquet involving transitions from wooden to metal to modern graphite composites.
#2 Marc Rosset:
The Swiss predecessor of the 20-time Grand Slam champion, Roger Federer, clinched the Olympic gold at Barcelona in 1992, overcoming a spirited Jordi Arrese in a thrilling five-setter. He stood at a towering height of 2.01 metres, but could only get his hold on a solitary doubles Grand Slam title.
#3 Andre Agassi:
The Americans have had the most tremendous success at the mega sporting event, and lead the tennis medals tally, apart from being a global sporting superpower. The swashbuckling Andre Agassi beat Sergi Bruguera in straight sets to claim the gold.
Agassi had a pretty impressive tennis career, throughout which, he won eight Grand Slams while also being the World No. 1 for a total of 101 weeks.
#4 Yevgeny Kafelnikov:
The turn of the 21st century marked a deviation from the usual best-of-five sets to best-of-three sets, with the best-of-five format retained only for the men’s singles and doubles finals. The Russian Yevgeny Kafelnikov stood atop the podium in 2000 after getting the better of the German Tommy Haas in a topsy-turvy five-setter.
This was also the year when the Williams sisters made their first mark on the Olympic stage, before going on to stamp their authority by winning a staggering nine medals amongst them.
#5 Nicolas Massu:
The Chilean had a dream run by winning the gold medal not only in the singles category, but also in men's doubles, partnering Fernando Gonzales, giving Chile its first-ever gold medal in the history of the Olympics. Gonzales himself claimed the bronze in the singles, making Chile the best tennis team at the Athens Games in 2004.
To date, Massu remains the only male player of the Open Era to have got his hands on the gold in both singles and doubles events at the same edition of the Olympic Games.
#6 Rafael Nadal:
Nadal got his first Olympic gold in 2008 by getting the better of Fernando Gonzalez, the bronze medalist at the previous edition. The Beijing Games also saw Novak Djokovic claim the bronze medal, which is his only Olympic medal up until now.
Even Roger Federer won the gold medal in the men’s doubles, making this the only Games to see the famed “Big 3” on the podium. Nadal also went on to win a men's doubles gold at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
#7 Andy Murray:
Sir Andy Murray denied the Swiss maestro Roger Federer in the finals in London in 2012 before combining with Laura Robson for a silver in the mixed doubles. Prior to Murray, Great Britain was highly dominant in the singles categories in the amateur era; however, the advent of the open era saw an inexplicable decline.
At Rio 2016, Murray defended his Olympic gold medal by overcoming Juan Martin del Potro, the bronze medalist in the 2012 London Games, making him the only player ever to do so in the singles category. Murray prepares for his final farewell tennis tournament at his fifth Olympic Games in Paris 2024.
#8 Alexander Zverev:
Tokyo 2020 (held in 2021 due to COVID) marked the first edition to go for a complete best-of-three sets format, even for the men’s singles event, including the finals. Alexander Zverev of Germany won against the Russian Karen Khachenov, representing the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC), due to the doping scandals in the nation. This was also the first time that the USA contingent went back without a single tennis medal.
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