Daily Archives: August 4, 2012

Serena Williams Won Her First Singles Gold. Will Roger Federer?

Roger Federer may have 17 tennis majors in his pocket to Rafael Nadal‘s 11, but Nadal has one thing Federer does not, and that’s a singles Olympic gold medal – well, not yet at least.

Federer will be facing off against hometown hero Andy Murray on Sunday at Wimbledon’s Centre Court at 9AM EST in the gold medal match. Later in the day (11 AM EST) Murray will be going for another gold, with partner Laura Robson in the mixed doubles finals. That’s a tough schedule. Makes you hope he wins at least one gold.

On the women’s side, Serena Williams won her first singles gold today, destroying Russia’s Maria Sharapova 6-0, 6-1. She joins sister Venus as a fellow singles gold medal winner. Tomorrow, the Williams sisters will be going for more gold in the women’s doubles gold medal match at 7AM EST.

Both Federer and Serena (and Venus) Williams have won gold in men’s and women’s doubles, respectively, before.

Tennis has not always been an Olympic sport. In fact, it was only recently reinstated in 1988 after a 64-year self-imposed exile. Tennis was there in the first Olympic Games in 1896 and through 1924, but because the International Olympic Committee had such a strict definition of what an “amateur” was, the International Tennis Federation, a partner in the event, refused to allow the game to be official. Sadly, that meant so many greats – from Jimmy Connors to John McEnroe and Chris Evert to Martina Navratilova – never had the opportunity to vie for a gold medal like the players of today.

Take a look at all the tennis singles gold medal winners below. Note that in 1908 and 1912, there were two separate events, indoor and outdoor tennis, hence the two gold medals.

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Photo: blog.zap2it.com / nydailynews.com