Lure of Gold eludes World No. 1s Williams & Djokovic

By Ros Satar

• Serena Williams joins Garbine Muguruza and Agnieszka Radwanska on the side-lines for the Singles
• Novak Djokovic left heartbroken after being denied again by Juan Martian Del Potro
• Olympic Tennis may not have points this year, but the Gold Medal prestige matters

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The Tennis event throws up some extraordinary wins as the prospect of winning a medal for your country upends four of the world’s best players

We are not even a full week into the Olympics and already four of the World’s best players are out of the tennis tournament, as the prospect for playing for something bigger than ranking points or a giant trophy has thrown up some astounding results.

5 quick hits about the big names sent crashing…

Novak Djokovic (SRB) [1] WR1

Lost in the first round to Juan Martin Del Potro (ARG)

Second time Olympic loss, lost the Bronze medal match in London

Left the court devastated

This year he achieved a Career Slam – he holds all four major titles at this time

Stunned in the Wimbledon third round by Sam Querrey

Serena Williams (USA) [1] WR1

Lost to Elina Svitolina [15] in straight sets

Earlier in the tournament, lost in the doubles with sister Venus in the opening round

Seemed to be struggling with a shoulder injury and pulled out of Montreal with shoulder inflammation

Not on the Cincinnati list and would go into the US Open very much undercooked

Svitolina (under the tutelage of former champion Justine Henin) actually idolised Williams as she was growing up, as well as always wanting to represent Ukraine at the Olympics.

Garbiñe Muguruza (ESP) [3] WR4

Looked very strong in the first two rounds before being stunned for the gain of just two games by Monica Puig

However she has the ultimate consolation prize, the French Open champion gets to play mixed doubles with Rafael Nadal – she quipped when she won Roland Garros this year that her first thought had been to wonder how Nadal had won nine of these!

Since winning the French Open, she has struggled a little, losing in the first round of Mallorca and the 2015 Wimbledon finalist bombed out in the second round this year at SW19

She will be hoping to go better in the US than she did last year, losing in the first round of Cincinnati and out in the second round of the US Open, before finishing the year strong in Asia

Muguruza is still in action in the women’s doubles with partner Carla Suárez Navarro

Agnieszka Radwanska (POL) [4] WR5

Bounced out early in her second Olympics, she was a casualty in the opening round, losing to Zheng Saisai

She made it a couple of rounds in her Olympic debut in Beijing losing to Francesca Schiavone in the second round

Her London 2012 campaign, on arguably her favourite surface was a huge disappointment, losing to Julia Goerges in the first round.

She will still be around for a while though – she joins forces with Lukasz Kubot for the Mixed doubles

She has some mixed pedigree, winning the Hopman Cup with Jerzy Janowicz in 2015.

The Ones to Watch

Andy Murray

• Thee time Grand Slam Winner
• Defending Olympic Champion

Rafael Nadal

• 14 time Grand Slam champion
• 2008 Beijing Olympic champion

Angelique Kerber

• 2016 Australian Open champion and Wimbledon finalist