Tennis at the 2020 Summer Olympics – Men's singles

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Men's singles
Tennis at the 2020 Summer Olympics
Final
ChampionFlag of Germany.svg  Alexander Zverev  (GER)
Runner-upRussian Olympic Committee flag.png  Karen Khachanov  (ROC)
Score6–3, 6–1
Events
Singles men women
Doubles men women mixed
Qualification
  2016  · Summer Olympics ·  2024  

Men's singles
at the Games of the XXXII Olympiad
Tennis pictogram.svg
Olympic Tennis
Venue Ariake Coliseum
Dates24 July – 1 August 2021
Competitors64 from 31 nations
Medalists
Gold medal icon.svg Alexander Zverev Flag of Germany.svg  Germany
Silver medal icon.svg Karen Khachanov Russian Olympic Committee flag.png  ROC
Bronze medal icon.svg Pablo Carreño Busta Flag of Spain.svg  Spain
  2016
2024  

Germany's Alexander Zverev defeated Karen Khachanov of the Russian Olympic Committee in the final, 6–3, 6–1, to win the gold medal in Men's Singles tennis at the 2020 Summer Olympics. It was both countries' first medals at the event since 2000, and Germany's first victory. [1] In the bronze medal match, Spain's Pablo Carreño Busta defeated Serbia's Novak Djokovic, 6–4, 6–7(6–8), 6–3. En route to his bronze medal, Carreño Busta defeated the world's top two ranked players – the ROC's Daniil Medvedev and Djokovic.

Contents

64 players from 31 nations competed. [2]

Andy Murray was the two-time reigning gold medalist, but withdrew before his first-round match due to a quadriceps strain. [3]

World No. 1-ranked Djokovic was attempting to win the fourth of five components of a potential Golden Slam (and the third man to do so across an entire career, after Andre Agassi and Rafael Nadal), having already won the Australian Open, French Open and Wimbledon Championships that year, but he lost to Zverev in the semifinals. [4]

The medals for the competition were presented by Nenad Lalović, IOC Executive Board Member; Serbia; and the medalists' bouquets were presented by David Haggerty, ITF President; United States.

Background

This was the 16th (medal) appearance of the men's singles tennis event. The event has been held at every Summer Olympics where tennis has been on the program: from 1896 to 1924 and then from 1988 to the current program. Demonstration events were held in 1968 and 1984.

Novak Djokovic was the favourite entering the tournament having won three consecutive Grand Slam titles earlier in the year. Top players not present, along with two-time defending champion Andy Murray, included Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Matteo Berrettini, Dominic Thiem, Roberto Bautista Agut, and Stan Wawrinka. [2]

Egypt made its men's singles debut. France made its 15th appearance, most among all nations, having missed only the 1904 event.

Qualification

Each National Olympic Committee (NOC) can enter up to four players. Nations had been limited to four players in the event since the 2000 Games. Qualification for the men's singles is primarily through the ATP ranking list of 7 June 2021. An additional restriction is that players had to have been part of a nominated team for three Davis Cup events between 2017 and 2020 (with some exceptions). There are 64 quota places available for men's singles. [5]

The first 56 are assigned through the world ranking. [5]

There are six places available through continental qualification: four through continental tournaments (two in the 2019 Pan American Games, one in the 2018 Asian Games, and one in the 2019 African Games) and two through continent-restricted world ranking (one each for Europe and Oceania, which must come from NOCs with no other qualified competitors). The four continental tournament places take precedence over the world ranking, so the winners (João Menezes, Marcelo Tomás Barrios Vera, Denis Istomin, and Mohamed Safwat) are not counted toward the 56 (but are counted toward the four-per-nation limit). [5]

One place is guaranteed to the host nation. If Japan earns a place through the world ranking, the host guarantee is not used and a 57th place is added to the ranking. [5]

In an unusual career accomplishment qualification process, one spot is reserved for a former Olympic or Grand Slam champion that has not qualified through the current world rankings. The player must have won an Olympic gold medal or a Grand Slam singles final, be within the top 300 ranked players, and be from a nation that has not already qualified four players. If multiple players meet those criteria, the one with the most titles qualifies; if still tied, the highest ranked player qualifies. If no players meet those criteria, an additional place (57th or 58th) is added to the ranking. [5] For the 2020 Games, this 'career wild card' quota was initially held by reigning double Olympic champion and three-time Grand Slam winner Andy Murray, but he was given a direct entry after several players withdrew. However he withdrew before he was due to play his first round match due to an injury.

Competition format

The competition was a single-elimination tournament with a bronze medal match. Matches were best-of-3 sets. A tiebreak was played in all sets reaching 6–6, including the last set of a match. In a change from previous Olympics editions, the men’s final was played over three rather than five sets, for compensation to players who are competing in the later stages in all three categories: singles, doubles and mixed. [6]

Schedule

The competition is held over nine days from 24 July to 1 August. Times given are the start of tennis sessions, though the men's singles shares courts with other tennis events. [7]

JulyAugust
24252627282930311
11:0011:0011:0011:0011:0015:0015:0015:0015:00
Round of 64Round of 32Round of 16Quarter-finalsSemi-finalsBronze medal matchGold medal match

All times are Japan Standard Time (UTC+9)

Seeds

0 1.  Flag of Serbia.svg  Novak Djokovic  (SRB)(semifinals, fourth place)
0 2.  Russian Olympic Committee flag.png  Daniil Medvedev  (ROC)(quarterfinals)
0 3.  Flag of Greece.svg  Stefanos Tsitsipas  (GRE)(third round)
0 4.  Flag of Germany.svg  Alexander Zverev  (GER)(champion, gold medalist)
0 5.  Russian Olympic Committee flag.png  Andrey Rublev  (ROC)(first round)
0 6.  Flag of Spain.svg  Pablo Carreño Busta  (ESP)(semifinals, bronze medalist)
0 7.  Flag of Poland.svg  Hubert Hurkacz  (POL)(second round)
0 8.  Flag of Argentina.svg  Diego Schwartzman  (ARG)(third round)
0 9.  Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Félix Auger-Aliassime  (CAN)(first round)
10.  Flag of France.svg  Gaël Monfils  (FRA)(first round)
11.  Russian Olympic Committee flag.png  Aslan Karatsev  (ROC)(second round)
12.  Russian Olympic Committee flag.png  Karen Khachanov  (ROC)(final, silver medalist)
13.  Flag of Italy.svg  Lorenzo Sonego  (ITA)(second round)
14.  Flag of France.svg  Ugo Humbert  (FRA)(quarterfinals)
15.  Flag of Italy.svg  Fabio Fognini  (ITA)(third round)
16.  Flag of Spain.svg  Alejandro Davidovich Fokina  (ESP)(third round)

Click on the seed number of a player to go to their draw section.

Draw

Key

Finals

Quarterfinals Semifinals Final
               
1 Flag of Serbia.svg  Novak Djokovic  (SRB)66
Flag of Japan.svg  Kei Nishikori  (JPN)2 0
1 Flag of Serbia.svg  Novak Djokovic  (SRB)63 1
4 Flag of Germany.svg  Alexander Zverev  (GER)1 66
4 Flag of Germany.svg  Alexander Zverev  (GER)66
Flag of France.svg  Jérémy Chardy  (FRA)4 1
4 Flag of Germany.svg  Alexander Zverev  (GER)66
12 Russian Olympic Committee flag.png  Karen Khachanov  (ROC)3 1
12 Russian Olympic Committee flag.png  Karen Khachanov  (ROC)774 6
14 Flag of France.svg  Ugo Humbert  (FRA)6463
12 Russian Olympic Committee flag.png  Karen Khachanov  (ROC)66Third place
6 Flag of Spain.svg  Pablo Carreño Busta  (ESP)3 3
6 Flag of Spain.svg  Pablo Carreño Busta  (ESP)6771 Flag of Serbia.svg  Novak Djokovic  (SRB)4 783
2 Russian Olympic Committee flag.png  Daniil Medvedev  (ROC)2 656 Flag of Spain.svg  Pablo Carreño Busta  (ESP)6666

Top half

Section 1

First round Second round Third round Quarterfinals
1 Flag of Serbia.svg  N Djokovic  (SRB)66
Flag of Bolivia.svg  H Dellien  (BOL)2 2 1 Flag of Serbia.svg  N Djokovic  (SRB)66
 Flag of Germany.svg  J-L Struff  (GER)66Flag of Germany.svg  J-L Struff  (GER)4 3
Flag of Brazil.svg  T Monteiro  (BRA)3 4 1 Flag of Serbia.svg  N Djokovic  (SRB)66
 Flag of Italy.svg  L Musetti  (ITA)3 4 16 Flag of Spain.svg  A Davidovich Fokina  (ESP)3 1
Flag of Australia.svg  J Millman  (AUS)66Flag of Australia.svg  J Millman  (AUS)4 773
Flag of Portugal.svg  P Sousa  (POR)3 0 16 Flag of Spain.svg  A Davidovich Fokina  (ESP)6646
16 Flag of Spain.svg  A Davidovich Fokina  (ESP)661 Flag of Serbia.svg  N Djokovic  (SRB)66
10 Flag of France.svg  G Monfils  (FRA)4 65 Flag of Japan.svg  K Nishikori  (JPN)2 0
Flag of Belarus.svg  I Ivashka  (BLR)64 7 Flag of Belarus.svg  I Ivashka  (BLR)6466
 Flag of Kazakhstan.svg  M Kukushkin  (KAZ)777Flag of Kazakhstan.svg  M Kukushkin  (KAZ)773 3
Flag of Argentina.svg  F Coria  (ARG)645  Flag of Belarus.svg  I Ivashka  (BLR)670
 Flag of Slovakia.svg  N Gombos  (SVK)6462 Flag of Japan.svg  K Nishikori  (JPN)796
Flag of the United States.svg  M Giron  (USA)773 6Flag of the United States.svg  M Giron  (USA)6561
Flag of Japan.svg  K Nishikori  (JPN)66 Flag of Japan.svg  K Nishikori  (JPN)773 6
5 Russian Olympic Committee flag.png  A Rublev  (ROC)3 4

Section 2

First round Second round Third round Quarterfinals
4 Flag of Germany.svg  A Zverev  (GER)66
PR Flag of Chinese Taipei for Olympic games.svg  Y-h Lu  (TPE)1 3 4 Flag of Germany.svg  A Zverev  (GER)66
Flag of Colombia.svg  DE Galán  (COL)76Flag of Colombia.svg  DE Galán  (COL)2 2
ITF Flag of Egypt.svg  M Safwat  (EGY)5 1 4 Flag of Germany.svg  A Zverev  (GER)677
 Flag of Georgia.svg  N Basilashvili  (GEO)66Flag of Georgia.svg  N Basilashvili  (GEO)4 65
Flag of Spain.svg  R Carballés Baena  (ESP)3 2 Flag of Georgia.svg  N Basilashvili  (GEO)63 6
Flag of Japan.svg  T Daniel  (JPN)6666313 Flag of Italy.svg  L Sonego  (ITA)4 64
13 Flag of Italy.svg  L Sonego  (ITA)4 78774 Flag of Germany.svg  A Zverev  (GER)66
11 Russian Olympic Committee flag.png  A Karatsev  (ROC)66Flag of France.svg  J Chardy  (FRA)4 1
Flag of the United States.svg  T Paul  (USA)3 2 11 Russian Olympic Committee flag.png  A Karatsev  (ROC)5 63
Flag of France.svg  J Chardy  (FRA)677Flag of France.svg  J Chardy  (FRA)74 6
ITF Flag of Chile.svg  MT Barrios Vera  (CHI)1 64Flag of France.svg  J Chardy  (FRA)774 6
Flag of Argentina.svg  F Cerúndolo  (ARG)5 772 ITF Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  L Broady  (GBR)6361
ITF Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  L Broady  (GBR)7646ITF Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  L Broady  (GBR)73 6
Alt Flag of Australia.svg  L Saville  (AUS)2 4 7 Flag of Poland.svg  H Hurkacz  (POL)5 63
7 Flag of Poland.svg  H Hurkacz  (POL)66

Bottom half

Section 3

First round Second round Third round Quarterfinals
8 Flag of Argentina.svg  D Schwartzman  (ARG)76
ITF Flag of Peru.svg  JP Varillas  (PER)5 4 8 Flag of Argentina.svg  D Schwartzman  (ARG)67
ITF Flag of the Czech Republic.svg  T Macháč  (CZE)6566ITF Flag of the Czech Republic.svg  T Macháč  (CZE)4 5
Flag of Portugal.svg  J Sousa  (POR)774 4 8 Flag of Argentina.svg  D Schwartzman  (ARG)1 61
Alt Flag of Slovakia.svg  L Klein  (SVK)73 6412 Russian Olympic Committee flag.png  K Khachanov  (ROC)62 6
Flag of Australia.svg  J Duckworth  (AUS)5 677Flag of Australia.svg  J Duckworth  (AUS)5 1
Flag of Japan.svg  Y Nishioka  (JPN)61 2 12 Russian Olympic Committee flag.png  K Khachanov  (ROC)76
12 Russian Olympic Committee flag.png  K Khachanov  (ROC)3 6612 Russian Olympic Committee flag.png  K Khachanov  (ROC)774 6
14 Flag of France.svg  U Humbert  (FRA)77614 Flag of France.svg  U Humbert  (FRA)6463
Flag of Spain.svg  P Andújar  (ESP)631 14 Flag of France.svg  U Humbert  (FRA)4 777
 Flag of Poland.svg  K Majchrzak  (POL)4 2 Flag of Serbia.svg  M Kecmanović  (SRB)6655
Flag of Serbia.svg  M Kecmanović  (SRB)6614 Flag of France.svg  U Humbert  (FRA)2 776
 Flag of South Korea.svg  S-w Kwon  (KOR)3 2 3 Flag of Greece.svg  S Tsitsipas  (GRE)6642
Flag of the United States.svg  F Tiafoe  (USA)66Flag of the United States.svg  F Tiafoe  (USA)3 4
PR Flag of Germany.svg  P Kohlschreiber  (GER)3 63 3 Flag of Greece.svg  S Tsitsipas  (GRE)66
3 Flag of Greece.svg  S Tsitsipas  (GRE)63 6

Section 4

First round Second round Third round Quarterfinals
6 Flag of Spain.svg  P Carreño Busta  (ESP)76
Flag of the United States.svg  T Sandgren  (USA)5 2 6 Flag of Spain.svg  P Carreño Busta  (ESP)5 66
Flag of Croatia.svg  M Čilić  (CRO)65779Flag of Croatia.svg  M Čilić  (CRO)74 4
ITF Flag of Brazil.svg  J Menezes  (BRA)775 676 Flag of Spain.svg  P Carreño Busta  (ESP)796
 Flag of Germany.svg  D Koepfer  (GER)3 67Flag of Germany.svg  D Koepfer  (GER)673
Flag of Argentina.svg  F Bagnis  (ARG)63 5 Flag of Germany.svg  D Koepfer  (GER)66
Alt Flag of Australia.svg  M Purcell  (AUS)677Alt Flag of Australia.svg  M Purcell  (AUS)3 0
9 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  F Auger-Aliassime  (CAN)4 626 Flag of Spain.svg  P Carreño Busta  (ESP)677
15 Flag of Italy.svg  F Fognini  (ITA)662 Russian Olympic Committee flag.png  D Medvedev  (ROC)2 65
Flag of Japan.svg  Y Sugita  (JPN)4 3 15 Flag of Italy.svg  F Fognini  (ITA)677
 Flag of Belarus.svg  E Gerasimov  (BLR)4 66Flag of Belarus.svg  E Gerasimov  (BLR)4 64
Flag of France.svg  G Simon  (FRA)63 4 15 Flag of Italy.svg  F Fognini  (ITA)2 62
ITF Flag of India.svg  S Nagal  (IND)66662 Russian Olympic Committee flag.png  D Medvedev  (ROC)63 6
ITF Flag of Uzbekistan.svg  D Istomin  (UZB)4 784 ITF Flag of India.svg  S Nagal  (IND)2 1
Flag of Kazakhstan.svg  A Bublik  (KAZ)4 682 Russian Olympic Committee flag.png  D Medvedev  (ROC)66
2 Russian Olympic Committee flag.png  D Medvedev  (ROC)6710

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