The 9 women to win Olympic Games tennis gold – ft. Serena Williams, Steffi Graf
Since tennis returned to the Olympic Games in 1988, some of the greatest of the game have captured Olympic gold.
With Paris 2024 just days away, we look at the nine women who have struck gold on the greatest sporting stage of them all.
1988: Steffi Graf
Graf was the first woman to win Olympic gold in the modern era – and the only player ever to complete the Calendar Golden Slam.
The pressure was on the German heading into Seoul 1988, having already won all four major titles up for grabs that season.
But world No 1 Graf was imperious, dropping just one set on her way to the title.
After going three with Larisa Savchenko in the quarter-final, she then eased past both Zina Garrison in the semi-final and Gabriela Sabatini in the final.
1992: Jennifer Capriati
One of the youngest gold medallists in Olympic history, a then 16-year-old Capriati shocked the tennis world with her triumph at the Barcelona 1992 Games.
Capriati had proven herself to be one of the best tennis players in the world and was the third seed in the draw, but top seed Graf and Spanish second seed Arantxa Sanchez Vicario were largely backed for gold.
However, the American stunned the Spanish crowd by beating Sanchez Vicario in the last four – and then battled from a set down to shock Graf in the final.
1996: Lindsay Davenport
Four years on from Capriati’s win, Davenport ensured the title stayed in US hands with her victory on home turf at Atlanta 1996.
Seeded ninth, 20-year-old Davenport downed fourth seed Iva Majoli in the last eight, before knocking out compatriot and seventh seed Mary Joe Fernandez to reach the final.
On paper, she was an underdog against Sanchez Vicario but downed the Spaniard in straight sets to strike gold and kickstart her career.
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2000: Venus Williams
Gold was won by the third American player in a row at the Sydney 2000 Games, with Venus extending her stunning season by claiming one of the most prestigious titles of her career.
Second seed Down Under, Venus edged past Sanchez Vicario in the last eight before another three-set victory over Monica Seles powered her into the final.
It was much more straightforward for her in the gold medal match, easing past Elena Dementieva in straight sets for one of her four Olympic titles.
2004: Justine Henin
Henin went into the women’s singles at Athens 2004 as the top seed and lived up to expectations by claiming a first tennis gold medal for Belgium.
After breezing through her opening matches and beating Mary Pierce in straight sets in the last eight, the world No 1 edged past Anastasia Myskina in a three-set classic to reach the gold medal match.
There she faced an intriguing contest against long-term rival Amelie Mauresmo but eased to victory to win one of the biggest titles of her career.
2008: Elena Dementieva
Eight years on from her Olympic silver, former world No 3 Dementieva went one better by capturing gold at the 2008 Games in Beijing.
Dementieva surged into contention at the quarter-final stage, with the fifth seed stunning Serena Williams from a set down to reach the last four.
She then beat compatriot Vera Zvonareva in straight sets to reach the final, where she beat another Russian in the form of Dinara Safina to take gold.
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2012: Serena Williams
A winner of three Olympic doubles golds, Serena finally claimed singles gold in London – in one of the most dominant runs in Olympic history.
Serena dropped just ten games across her first three matches, and then breezed past Caroline Wozniacki and Victoria Azarenka in the quarter and semi-finals.
She then sealed the most emphatic Olympic final win in modern history, dropping just one game against Maria Sharapova to claim the gold medal.
2016: Monica Puig
The biggest surprise in modern Olympic history saw the unheralded Puig capture Puerto Rico’s first-ever gold medal at the Rio 2016 Games eight years ago.
After shocking third seed Garbine Muguruza in round three Puig found herself in the last four, battling past Petra Kvitova to reach the final.
And that was followed up by another incredible three-set win, the unseeded star downing second seed Angelique Kerber for the title.
2021: Belinda Bencic
Three years ago at the delayed Tokyo Games, ninth seed Bencic picked up the biggest title of her career with a scintillating run to gold.
Bencic came from a set down in round three against Barbora Krejcikova, before battling past Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in another three-set battle to reach the last four.
That was followed by an epic victory over Elena Rybakina in the semi-final, before fending off Marketa Vondrousova in the final.
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