Olympic defeat four years ago reduced Roger Federer to tears.
The world’s No. 1-ranked tennis player wept after he was upset by Tomas Berdych in the second round at the Athens Games, one of only six losses for Federer in 2004.
“He looked totally devastated,” said Chilean Nicolas Massu, who won a gold medal in singles and doubles.
Although most players make Grand Slam tournaments a bigger priority Federer’s tears debunked the myth that top men’s players don’t care about the Olympics.
This year, the highest-ranked men — No. 1 Federer, No. 2 Rafael Nadal and No. 3 Novak Djokovic — all are keen to do well in China.
Whether they can avoid the upsets that have marked previous Olympic tournaments is another matter.
The women’s field also will be Grand Slam-caliber. It’s expected to include Maria Sharapova, Ana Ivanovic and Venus and Serena Williams.
Since regaining medal-sport status in 1988 after a long hiatus, Olympic tennis has produced women’s champions familiar even to casual fans. Gold medalists have included Jennifer Capriati as a 16-year-old in 1992, second-generation Olympian Lindsay Davenport in 1996 and Justine Henin in 2004. At Sydney in 2000, Venus Williams won two golds, one in doubles with sister Serena. All are winners of multiple Grand Slam titles.
But on the men’s side, Pete Sampras — winner of a record 14 major titles — never earned a medal. Also shut out have been multiple Grand Slam winners Marat Safin, Jim Courier, Patrick Rafter, Gustavo Kuerten and Lleyton Hewitt.
Massu has never reached a major semi-final. Marc Rosset of Switzerland and Miloslav Mecir of Czechoslovakia were other surprise gold medalists.
Federer is eager to become the first man to win a gold medal while ranked No. 1.
“For me, it’s a big priority of the year,” he said. “For me, it ranks on a Grand Slam level.”
He has further incentive: For the first time since 2002, Federer has failed to win any of the year’s first three Grand Slam events.
Losses to Nadal in the finals at the French Open and Wimbledon have jeopardized Federer’s four and a half-year reign in the rankings.
For all the top players, the schedule poses a challenge. Olympic tennis runs the week of Aug. 11, and the US Open starts eight days after the Beijing tournament ends.
But Federer believes he has the stamina to do well at both hard-court events, despite a bout with mononucleosis last winter.
“I feel like I’m exactly where I want to be,” he said. “I’m physically in a good shape again, so things are looking good, but there’s never a guarantee. I’m going to try to prepare the best way I can.”
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