How will tennis players qualify for 2024 Olympic Games in Paris?

The Olympic Games are just around the corner and some of the biggest names in tennis are setting their sights on an iconic gold medal.

World No 1 Novak Djokovic has made it clear that he is prioritising the Olympics as he looks to complete his collection of titles in the game and the Serbian legend has to be one of the favouirtes to finally win the big prize in an event that will be staged at Roland Garros, the same venue as the French.

Three-time French Open champion Iga Swiatek must be the outstanding favourite to win the singles for Poland in the women’s draw, but medals will also be up for grabs in doubles and mixed doubles.

The process of qualification for the Olympics has been the subject of plenty of debate, so here is your Tennis365 guide to what comes next this summer.

HOW DO PLAYERS GET INTO THE OLYMPICS?

A few basic criteria are as follows:

• Players must rank highly in their National Association and with the International Tennis Federation.
• They need to have represented their nation enough times in Davis Cup or Billie Jean King Cup.
• They have to be aged 14 or over for men, and 15 or over for women.
• If an athlete does not meet these criteria, they can apply for an exemption to the ITF Olympic Committee.

These are the guidelines for entry, as outlined by the International Tennis Federation:

Each nation may nominate a maximum of 12 players – six for the men’s draws, six for the women’s draws. The singles events at the Olympic Games will both feature 64 players in the first round, with a maximum of four athletes per country. For a nation like USA, who currently have eight women and seven men ranked in the world’s Top 60, this means they will have players with high rankings that nonetheless do not qualify for the Games.

There are 56 direct acceptances to the singles draw based on the ATP and WTA rankings published on Monday 10 June. This means that the 56 highest-ranked ATP and WTA players, keeping in mind the maximum of four per nation in each draw, will be offered a place providing they are eligible.

Then there are six Final Qualification Places, one Host Country place and one Universality Place.

READ MORE: Novak Djokovic’s next coach: Marian Vajda, John McEnroe or Novak Djokovic to coach himself?

WHEN IS THE CUT-OFF POINT FOR ENTRY?

The conclusion of this summer’s French Open (June 10) will be a key moment in the Olympic selection process, as players who have earned direct entry into the Olympic draw will be confirmed.

Aside from the ATP and WTA rankings, qualifying places for the Olympic Tennis Event will also be based on performances in the recent Pan American Games, the Asian Games and the African Games. Two men’s and women’s singles places are available from the Pan American Games, and one per singles event from the Asian and African Games.

Zheng Qinwen was the winner of the 2023 Asian Games and she is also a top ten singles player, so that is an example of player who would qualify on a couple points.

Two places are available in each singles draw for any athlete who has previously won an Olympic gold medal in singles or a Grand Slam singles title that has not qualified by direct acceptance, provided they are ranked in the Top 400 and don’t push their national associations quota over that magic four-athlete threshold.

This could be a rule that may help two-time Olympic gold medalist Andy Murray to get into another Olympics to round-off his career.

WHAT ABOUT DOUBLES?

The men’s and women’s doubles draws at Paris 2024 will feature 32 teams, and all pairs need to represent the same nation. There is a maximum of two teams per nation. There will be 31 direct acceptance places and one host country place

Players ranked in the ATP and WTA doubles Top 10 on 10 June will get direct entry into the doubles event if they are nominated by their country. Those players need to be able to team up with a player from their country ranked in the Top 300 in either singles or doubles.

WILL ROLAND-GARROS LOOK DIFFERENT?

The answer to this question is… yes!

A retractable roof is to be built by 2024 over Court Suzanne-Lenglen, the second biggest court of the stadium.

Named in memory of the French aviator Roland Garros, the stadium was built in 1928 as the stage for the achievements of French players at the Davis Cup.

Located on the edge of Bois de Boulogne, close to Parc des Princes, Roland-Garros hosts one of the four Grand Slam tournaments each year, a major global sporting event that is broadcast in more than 220 countries worldwide, organised by the French Tennis Federation.

The familiar images from the French Open will look a little different when the Olympics are played at Roland Garros, with the brading from Paris 2024 set to give the historic old venue a new look.