The game of rackets had twists and turns with the Olympics. Officially absent for decades, he returned in Seoul 1988, when Gabriela Sabatini She won the silver medal after losing in the final to Steffi Graf. The significance of this discipline changed in Athens 2004 when it began to award points for the ATP and WTA rankings, an ingredient that was eliminated in 2015 when the American David Haggerty was elected president of the ITF.
Argentina always has the expectation of fulfilling the golden dream in the Olympic Games. In total, our country won five medals in tennis: Juan Martin del Potro (silver in Rio 2016 and bronze in London 2012); the second place obtained by Sabatini; Christian Miniussi and Javier Frana (bronze in doubles from Barcelona 1992) and Paola Suarez and Patricia Tarabini (bronze in Athens 2004).
The Olympic qualification system is complex to break down, but it is not that far from a normal circuit tournament. The main draw consists of 64 players, of which 56 enter directly by ranking (as there are losses, the last place will move), a direct invitation for a local tennis player, another whose name is “universal plaza” and that responds to a surname renowned that could not access (for example, Del Potro in Rio 2016), and six ITF places with continental criteria. That last option is the one you have Facundo Díaz AcostaPan American champion in Santiago de Chile 2023.
The variable regarding any weekly tour appointment is the limit of participants per country: each national federation can present up to six tennis players, with a limit of four singles and two pairs, that is, two, three or four doubles. The pairs can also be made up of individual athletes; There will only be a mixed one, which will emerge from the classified athletes.
Eligible surnames with direct places will be confirmed on June 12 based on the ranking published two days before, after the Roland Garros finals. A week later, at 11:59 p.m. (London time) on June 19, each association and national committee must confirm who will be the representatives in the five Olympic events, that is, singles, doubles and mixed doubles.
This being the case, and on the verge of the end of the Argentina Openthe national tennis players who would be in a position to directly enter Paris by ranking are Francisco Cerúndolo (22°), Tomas Etcheverry (27th and this Saturday it was confirmed that on Friday night in his defeat against Nicolás Jarry he suffered a tear in his right quadriceps) and Sebastian Baez (30°). Pedro Cachín figure 74, so he should wait for the evolution of the ranking, while Díaz Acosta, for now 87th on the planet, has the American position and should be validated by the AAT.
In the case of double, Horacio Zeballos (11th), Maximo Gonzalez and Andrés Molteni (they share 13th place since they are a regular couple) are the ones who would be in a position to compete in the Olympic Games. If there are no injuries or personal losses, the captain must intervene in this test to define how the two pairs are formed.
Regarding this aspect, as far as he was able to know Ambiteverything is directed so that Guillermo Coria and Mercedes Pazcaptains of the Davis Cup and Billie Jean King Cup respectively, will be the leaders of the men’s and women’s teams.
The requirement of the ITF is that those participating in the Olympic event have participated – or been available to be called – in a Davis series in the two years prior to the Games. Zeballos’ doubt is whether he meets this requirement, which, if negative and according to what was reported by the AAT, can be appealed.
“I would love to be there. Obviously there is the fact that only two are going to go, and I don’t know how I stopped after not having been in the Davis Cup. I in this last one (NdR.: against Kazakhstan, in Rosario, with a 3-2 victory for the national team) I couldn’t be there due to an injury I suffered. The last series that I played was in October 2022. An Olympic game is unique for all athletes”commented who lost in the first round of the doubles draw at Tokyo 2020, his only Olympic participation.
Cerúndolo is the only singles player with experience in the Games, also in the Japanese capital (eliminated in the debut). “Without a doubt, if the ranking allows me, I will be there. It’s something very nice, it happens every four years. I dream of giving the country a medal. Besides, it’s at Roland Garros and that always motivates us a little and gives us more expectations.”analyzed the Argentine number 1 for Ámbito.
“For any athlete it is the most special thing. I have had a dream since I was little to be able to do it. I hope it happens to me, I have to continue working hard and see in these months. “We have to be ready”, Etcheverry noted before his injury. In addition, he added that he has some notions about the Olympic Village and aspires to share time with the best athletes and experience the ceremony.
Báez and Díaz Acosta have the distinction of having participated in the Youth Olympic Games Buenos Aires 2018. While both achieved the gold medal in doubles, the recent Argentina Open finalist took second place in singles.
“There are several months until the list is closed. I have a mini experience with the Youth. One of my dreams since I was little is to be able to be in an Olympic Games. I don’t think there is anything like that to imagine; “When I experienced it here, they were all such new things that I imagine what it could be like in a professional Olympic Village.”Báez was excited.
For his part, “Facu” assumed that despite having the qualification in hand for the Pan American title, his future will depend on the ranking, which will evolve significantly after reaching the final of the ATP in Buenos Aires: from 87th place he will advance at least at 69, so he will remain the fourth albiceleste exponent.
His ambition is clear: “I went to the Odesur 2022 (in Asuncion) thinking it was a pre-qualifier for the Olympic Games, so imagine. If there is a chance, I will be there. I have to improve the ranking and be among the four Argentines. “I have to do well in the ATP tournaments and we will see later, but I have them in my head and it would be a dream.”.
All exponents agree that the time gap is still wide and the results can assure or condemn. However, although the Olympic tournament will not provide points, the prestige is also valuable and the experience will be unmatched. The possibility of a medal, in a venue as special for Argentine tennis as Roland Garros, is worth its weight in gold.
Source: Ambito
I am Pierce Boyd, a driven and ambitious professional working in the news industry. I have been writing for 24 Hours Worlds for over five years, specializing in sports section coverage. During my tenure at the publication, I have built an impressive portfolio of articles that has earned me a reputation as an experienced journalist and content creator.
