Olympic Tennis 2016: Novak Djokovic Tops Winners and Losers of 1st Round
Rarely does a tennis grand slam produce so many first-round upsets, but the 2016 Olympics provided enough for the next four years.
No loss was greater than the defeat of world No. 1 Novak Djokovic, and perhaps few wins bigger for his conqueror, Juan Martin del Potro.
The surprises and triumphs showed that tennis talent is deep on the men’s and women’s tour, even with many prominent stars missing from the Games. Those who advanced earned their way forward and will be alerted to playing with fierce energy in the coming rounds.
There's all of this and more in the first Olympics special of our “Winners and Losers” column where we examine these effects on the world of tennis.
Loser: Venus Williams
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The Williams sisters' dynasty at the Olympics Games has spanned the entire 21st century, but the sun is setting quickly in Brazil.
Elder sibling Venus lost her singles match 4-6, 6-3, 7-6(5) to Kirsten Flipkens of Belgium. She then went down with Serena in a 6-3, 6-4 loss to the Czech team of Lucie Safarova and Barbora Strycova.
It’s not the dream Olympics ending for Venus, 36, who has won three doubles gold medals and one singles gold since 2000. Age and battles with the energy-draining Sjogren's Syndrome have left the seven-time major winner with too many shortcomings even as she’s worked her way back to the No. 6 ranking in the WTA.
How much longer will Venus continue to play singles? Will she and Serena hook up for a few more years of doubles? It’s a disappointing moment in Brazil, but the answers will be forthcoming.
Winner: Rafael Nadal
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It’s too early to get excited in talking about Rafael Nadal as a medal contender, but his 6-2, 6-1 scorching of Argentina’s Federico Delbonis was an impressive comeback.
The Spaniard had not played a match since late May when he withdrew from the French Open with a wrist injury. Now he's back to continue another streak. He's never lost an Olympics singles match, winning the gold medal in the 2008 Games in China, but missing the 2012 London Games with a knee injury.
Nadal was surprisingly able to breeze through a dangerous fellow left-hander with a strong forehand. Dan Levinsohn of NBC Olympics wrote: “Nadal overwhelmed his opponent by playing like his old self—hitting the ball hard, moving swiftly, ripping serves.”
It’s a nice tune-up for the Spaniard who next faces light-hitting Italian veteran Andreas Seppi, another player more suited for clay than hard courts. It will be likewise important for Nadal to get the rest and recovery he needs and to play another strong and confident match.
Maybe by the quarterfinals, we can look at Nadal as a favorite, but let's wait a few days to see how he responds to multiple matches and fatigue.
Loser: Jack Sock
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The American men were not expected to compete for medals, but the biggest fall was Jack Sock's 6-4, 6-4 loss to Japan’s Daniel Taro, who is not ranked in the top 100.
It was a huge disappointment for the 23-year-old, who has been bidding for a top-20 ranking and has become a Davis Cup stalwart and patriotic symbol for Babolat’s equipment campaign.
It’s even more unfortunate to learn that Sock has been dealing with walking pneumonia, per the Associated Press (h/t the Omaha World-Herald), and that he has been affected by illness since Wimbledon in early July.
Will he be able to compete at Cincinnati or the U.S. Open? How long before he can make a complete recovery? Hopefully sooner rather than later.
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Winner: Eugenie Bouchard
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In a first-round battle of talented underachievers on the WTA tour, Canada’s Eugenie Bouchard defeated American Sloane Stephens 6-3, 6-3.
This is exactly the kind of win that can help build more patience and confidence in the 22-year-old, who was the WTA’s rising star in 2014.
A great Olympics run could also help her capture more attention and fame, something that had often surrounded Maria Sharapova during her decade of success. Bouchard will only continue to gain growing tennis acclaim if she shows the hustle and spirit that she displayed in defeating Stephens.
“I want to get to every ball,” Bouchard said, per Postmedia News (h/t the Montreal Gazette). It’s about as simple as it gets, and if she can play one point at a time with all the grind and dedication needed to return to the top five in the rankings, this first round could be an important step moving forward.
Loser: Agnieszka Radwanska
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World No. 5 Agnieszka Radwanska just cannot break through for a monumental championship in her distinguished career.
The Polish player, one of the favorites to capture a medal, fell in straight sets to 64th-ranked Zheng Saisai after a frustrating, 55-hour odyssey with delayed planes that left her weary and sick, per AP (h/t Tennis.com).
It might be the most disappointing moment of her career, an opportunity that will not likely be there when she is 31 years old and the 2020 Olympics are underway.
In a way, the journey to the top of the rankings has been a parallel adventure for the talented Pole with the creative shotmaking skills. She’s always one missed connection away from a major title, or she is pushed aside by bigger, more powerful forces.
It’s never easy to achieve one’s dreams no matter how close they are. A lifetime of work still takes coordination, support, luck and timing.
Winner: Juan Martin Del Potro
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Forget about the losing end of this match for a few paragraphs. Tennis fans have to feel good for Juan Martin del Potro after he upset Novak Djokovic 7-6(4), 7-6(2) in the first round. It might be a shocker, but this is hardly the biggest win in the big Argentine’s career.
The 27-year-old was the 2009 U.S. Open champion after outslugging Roger Federer. There was promise of more to come, but the last seven years have been plagued by wrist surgeries and compromised patches of play amid successful stints deep inside the top 10. Four years ago, he defeated Djokovic for the bronze medal.
He’s still not even in the top 100 after missing over a year with his latest wrist injury, but in recent months Del Potro has scored some big wins scattered amid the ups and downs of regaining his timing and conditioning.
Could the Argentine contend for another Olympics medal this week? It’s possible, and if he pulls it off, we could see a touch of redemption for his career and maybe an extension of what should have been his prime years.
Loser: Novak Djokovic
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Is the sky falling in Serbia? Nobody has been more perfect than Novak Djokovic who held all four major titles at once before losing to journeyman Sam Querrey at Wimbledon. Then he regrouped by steamrolling to a Rogers Cup title last week.
Now Djokovic’s a first-round loser to mini-rival Juan Martin del Potro, who has provided a handful of great battles in years past. Except that the Serb is the king of tennis and Del Potro is just trying to get back to playing consistent tennis on the tour without getting injured again.
The loss was clearly disappointing to Djokovic who shed tears after the loss. Per AFP/ABC News, he said: “It's one of the toughest losses in my life and career. The wounds are still fresh.”
So the gold-medal chase couldn’t survive one match. How likely is it that Djokovic will be a favorite to go after gold in 2020? This was assuredly his best chance and now it’s gone.
Perhaps the only consolation for the moment is that Djokovic can fly up to the northern United States and get the early start he needs to go after the one Masters 1000 tournament he has not won, the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati.
There’s nothing like a tough loss and more time to sharpen a champion’s resolve.
Winners: Surviving Superstars
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After a wild first round, there are a few superstar winners who will bear down after witnessing several upsets. A few of them definitely benefited from the early chaos.
- Andy Murray is now the favorite to win the men’s singles gold medal after Djokovic’s loss, with the extra rest he will additionally get after he and brother Jamie fell in their doubles match.
- Serena Williams is through, and, like Murray, will not compete further in doubles after she and sister Venus were ousted. Will she play mixed doubles later in the week?
- Angelique Kerber can keep grinding away without a possible troubling match in the semifinals against Agnieszka Radwanska.
- Garbine Muguruza played great and looks more confident. Will she have her dominating form that won the French Open in early June?
- And Rafael Nadal’s latest comeback looks more promising after the obstacle of Djokovic was removed, but he has a lot more to prove with his own game first.
Let the Games play on.
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