Tennis has a storied history as an Olympic event. It was one of the nine original sports played at the first modern Olympiad in Athens in 1896 but was removed from the lineup in 1924. The International Tennis Federation, or ITF, campaigned furiously to have the sport returned to the games. In 1984, tennis was given a spot as a demonstration sport for youths 21 and under. Four years later, the International Olympic Committee reinstated tennis as a full medal sport at the Seoul, South Korea, Olympic Games.
Match Play
The rules and regulations set forth by the ITF govern match play in an Olympic tennis event. Competitors play each game to a total of four points, and a player or team must win by two points to win the game. The first player or team to win six games with at least a two-game advantage wins the set. All matches are played to the best of three sets, except for the men's singles and doubles finals, which are played to the best of five sets. According to the rules used by the Olympic Committee at the 2008 Beijing games, any play issue that arises and is not covered by ITF rules must be resolved in accordance with the Olympic Charter.
Selection
Each of the singles tournaments has 64 players, and each of the doubles tournaments has 32 teams. The Olympic Committee selects the first 48 players for the singles tournaments based on international rankings. Fourteen of the remaining players are selected based on many factors: rankings within the ITF, whether the player's country is represented at the Olympics, how many players are in the tournament and the player's geographical location. The final two slots are specially selected after careful consideration by the International Olympic Committee and the ITF jointly. Doubles tournaments have 24 teams selected based on rankings and then the eight remaining slots are filled by the ITF based on the same criteria as the singles.
National Representation
Any player selected to compete in Olympic tennis must be a national of the country he is chosen to represent. If the competitor has a dual nationality, he may represent either nation in Olympic Tennis as long as he has not represented a different country at the Olympics or continental and regional championships. Males selected must be at least 14 years of age by the opening day of the Olympics, while females must be 15 years old.
Code of Conduct
The International Olympic Committee mandates that all players put their best effort forth in every match and refrain from any unsportsmanlike conduct, including yelling, cursing or damaging equipment on the court. Violation of the code of conduct during a match incurs a fine of up to $10,000. Players may not accept any financial contributions or rewards for their play other than those given by the International Olympic Committee. Accepting bribes results in immediate suspension from Olympic play indefinitely and the player incurs a fine up to $250,000.
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