Qualification for tennis at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China was determined not by any form of qualifying tournament, but by the rankings maintained by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) and the Women's Tennis Association (WTA).
Qualifying criteria The main qualifying criteria were the ATP and WTA ranking lists as of June 9, 2008. The players entering were formally submitted by the International Tennis Federation (ITF). The ATP and WTA rankings were based on performances from the previous 52 weeks, and there were several tournaments, including the 2008 Wimbledon Championships, in the two-month period between the time of the rankings being frozen for entry, and the beginning of the tennis events at the Olympics. This led one player, Rainer Schüttler, who rose the ATP rankings considerably in that time period, to successfully seek arbitration on the matter and gain entry. Another player, Tamarine Tanasugarn who was outside the ranking places that could qualify on July 9, but re-entered them, like Schuettler, gained entry; although she did so through the Tripartite Commission Invitation places after Stephanie Vogt withdrew.
Each National Olympic Committee (NOC) could enter 6 men and 6 women athletes, with a maximum of 4 entries in the individual events, and 2 pairs in the doubles events. This resulted in several high-ranked players being unable to enter, despite players of lower-rank being able to. For example, Vera Zvonareva, world number 13, would not have been entered had all the Russian players ahead of her done so, and world number 21, Nadia Petrova, was unable to participate (the top four Russian women players were all in the world's top eight). In the men's, a notably high-ranked player who could not gain entry was world number 20 Fernando Verdasco of Spain. However, any player in the world's top 56 was eligible, and NOC's had the option to enter players of a lower rank. Athletes were able to compete in both single and doubles events.
Singles: 56 players directly qualified for the singles event based on the recognised World Ranking of 9 June 2008. Any player qualified for the singles event was automatically eligible for entry in the doubles event. 2 Invitation places in each singles event were allocated by the Tripartite Commission. 6 final qualification places in the singles event were allocated by the ITF based on the recognised World Ranking and the continental/NOC representation.
Doubles: 10 players directly qualified for the doubles event based on the recognised World Ranking of 9 June 2008. Final qualification places were allocated by the ITF to doubles players based on the recognised World Ranking and the continental/NOC representation, until a total of 86 places have been allocated.
The ITF places were allocated by the ITF, based on recognized world ranking and continental/NOC participation.
Summary A total of 48 nations were represented by at least one player in either the men's singles, women's singles, men's doubles, or women's doubles.
Nation Men Women Total Singles Doubles Singles Doubles 4 4 1 2(1) 6 2 4(2) 3 4(1) 8 1 2(1) 1 3 1 2(1) 2 1 2 4(2) 5 2 2 2 2 2(2) 4 1 1 2 2(1) 3 2 2 2 3 2 4 4(1) 8 1 1 2(1) 3 1 1 4 4(2) 4 4(1) 11 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 1 1 4 4(1) 3 4(1) 9 2 2 2 1 2(1) 2 1 2(1) 2 1 2(1) 2 2(2) 1 2(1) 4 2(2) 2 2 4 3 2 4 4(1) 8 1 2 2 3 1 1 1 1 2(2) 2 4(2) 6 1 1 2 4 4 4 4(1) 9 2 2(1) 1 4 1 2 2(1) 4 1 2(1) 2 1 1 4 4 4 4(1) 9 3 4(1) 1 5 2 2 2 2(1) 5 1 1 1 1 1 1 4 4 4 3 4(2) 3 4(2) 10 1 1 1 1 1 1 Total: 48 NOCs 64 64(22) 64 64(20) 170 Number in brackets = players participating only in doubles
Qualifiers
Men's singles No.RankPlayerNOC World Ranking 11Roger Federer22Rafael Nadal33Novak Djokovic44Nikolay Davydenko55David Ferrer—6Andy RoddickRoddick to defend Washington title and skip Olympics67James Blake78David Nalbandian89Stanislas Wawrinka—10Richard GasquetGasquet pulls out911Andy Murray1012Tomáš Berdych1113Nicolás Almagro—14Jo-Wilfried Tsonga1215Fernando González1316Radek Štěpánek1417Paul-Henri Mathieu1518Mikhail Youzhny1619Tommy Robredo—20Fernando Verdasco1721Juan Mónaco—22Ivo Karlović—23Marcos BaghdatisBaghdatis out of games with wrist injuryChanges to entry list Aug 6—24Juan Carlos Ferrero1825Jarkko Nieminen—26Carlos Moyá—27Ivan Ljubičić1928Gilles Simon2029Dmitry Tursunov2130Lleyton Hewitt2231Andreas Seppi2332Gaël Monfils—33Feliciano López2434Igor Andreev2535Michaël Llodra—36Mardy Fish—37Tommy HaasHaas to skip Olympic Games 2638Nicolas Kiefer2739Janko Tipsarević—40Philipp Kohlschreiber2841Sam Querrey2942Robin Söderling—43Julien Benneteau—44Mario Ančić—45Juan Ignacio ChelaChanges to Beijing entry list Jul 28—46Nicolas Mahut3047Simone Bolelli3148Guillermo Cañas3249Agustín Calleri—50José Acasuso3351Ernests Gulbis—52Fabrice Santoro3453Steve Darcis—54Marcel Granollers3555Lee Hyung-Taik3656Marin Čilić—57Marc Gicquel3758Potito Starace3859Robby Ginepri—60Sébastien Grosjean—61Eduardo Schwank—62Robin Haase3963Nicolás Lapentti—64Juan Martín del Potro—65Dudi SelaSela loses in first round, then slams OCISela, whose participation in the Olympics was not approved by the Olympic Committee of Israel, was invited by the ITF to join the petition to CAS of the Belgian players Darcis and Rochus, but he declined the offer and decided to play in the Countrywide Classic in Los Angeles and the following tournaments in Washington (Countrywide Classic draw).—66Denis Gremelmayr4067Olivier Rochus4168Thomaz Bellucci4269Thomas Johansson—70Albert Montañés4370PR(289)Dominik Hrbatý4471Ivo Minář4572Victor Hănescu4673Lu Yen-Hsun—74Stefan KoubekChanges to Beijing entry list Jul 214775Marcos Daniel—76Marat Safin—77Florent Serra—78Igor Kunitsyn4879Chris Guccione—80 Santiago Ventura 4981 Jürgen Melzer 5082 Jiří Vaněk —83 Michael Berrer —84 John Isner —85 Evgeny Korolev —86 Arnaud Clément —87 Martín Vassallo Argüello —88 Donald Young 51 89 Rainer Schüttler 52 90 Frank Dancevic 53 248Frédéric NiemeyerA player who withdraws after August 2 is replaced by the highest ranked doubles-only player54 570Zeng Shao-Xuan55 605Yu Xinyuan56 936Devin Mullings ITF places5798Kevin Anderson58103Kei Nishikori59128Jonas Björkman60131Nicolás Massú61300Max Mirnyi62489Sun Peng Tripartite Commission Invitation63438Komlavi Loglo64447Rafael Arevalo PR Protected/Special Ranking
Rankings as at 9 June 2008
Schüttler entry controversy On August 4, 2008, German player Rainer Schüttler was granted an exceptional entry into the tournament, despite not having qualified under the original criteria, after having taken his campaign to play at the games to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). Schuettler, who was an alternate for Denis Gremelmayr, was ranked outside the qualifying places on June 9, when the players entered for the Games, based upon the ATP rankings of that date, were announced by the ITF. Schüttler then went on to the 2008 Wimbledon Championships, where he reached the semi-finals, elevating his ranking from No. 94 to No. 31 in the world. Germany had received one place in the men's singles, based upon the rankings of June 9, although several players withdrew before the Games. Schüttler was subsequently selected by the German Olympic Committee (Deutscher Olympischer Sportbund, DOS), in spite of the regulations set out by the International Tennis Federation (ITF), under which he was designated as an alternate. On August 3, Schüttler took his case to CAS, who the next day ruled in his favour, saying that it was in compliance with the ITF's rules, and asserting that there was an understanding that the decision over which player could be entered would be delegated to the relevant National Olympic Committee. The ITF delivered a hostile response to the decision by CAS, claiming the DOS was ignorant, and admonishing Schüttler's actions — "While recognising the German NOC may not understand how professional tennis works, there is no excuse for Mr Schuettler, who is prepared to take a place earned by his compatriot Denis Gremelmayr and of next alternate Michael Berrer."
Women's singles No.RankPlayerNOC World Ranking —1Ana IvanovicIvanovic pulled out with a right thumb injury—2Maria SharapovaInjured Sharapova out of Olympics13Jelena Janković24Svetlana Kuznetsova35Elena Dementieva46Serena Williams57Venus Williams—8Anna ChakvetadzeSafina to replace Chakvetadze 69Dinara Safina—10Marion Bartoli711Daniela Hantuchová812Patty Schnyder913Vera Zvonareva1014Agnieszka Radwańska1115Ágnes Szávay1216Victoria Azarenka1317Alizé Cornet1418Francesca Schiavone1519Nicole Vaidišová—20Tatiana Golovin—21Nadia Petrova1622Flavia Pennetta—23Maria Kirilenko—24Katarina Srebotnik Srebotnik decided not to take part of Olympics1725Shahar Pe'er—26 Lindsay DavenportDavenport withdrew on Friday from the Olympics because of a lingering right knee injury.1827Virginie Razzano—27PR(NR)Mary Pierce1928Sybille Bammer2029Alona Bondarenko—30Amélie Mauresmo2131Dominika Cibulková2232Caroline Wozniacki2333Sania Mirza2434Kaia Kanepi2535Anabel Medina Garrigues2635PR(153)Mara Santangelo2736Olga Govortsova2836PR(162)Samantha Stosur2937Eleni Daniilidou3038Ai Sugiyama—39Karin Knapp3140Tsvetana Pironkova3241Casey Dellacqua3342Gisela Dulko3443Yan Zi—44Elena Vesnina3545Li Na—46Alisa Kleybanova3647Lucie Šafářová3748Iveta Benešová3849Carla Suárez Navarro3950PR(158)Milagros Sequera4050Peng Shuai4151Klára Zakopalová—52Petra Cetkovská—53Michaëlla Krajicek4254Akgul Amanmuradova—55Tamira Paszek4356Pauline Parmentier4457Sofia Arvidsson—58Vera Dushevina—59Aravane Rezaï—60Petra Kvitová4560PR(133)Zheng Jie4661Sara Errani—62Ekaterina Makarova4763Tatiana Perebiynis4864Marina Erakovic4965Marta Domachowska5066Sorana Cîrstea5167Timea Bacsinszky5269Kateryna Bondarenko—70Anastasia Rodionova—72Edina Gallovits—73Akiko Morigami—74Ashley Harkleroad5375Jill Craybas 54101Maret Ani55120Tzipora Obziler56140María José Martínez Sánchez ITF places5768Mariya Koryttseva5871Chan Yung-Jan5989Tamarine Tanasugarn60102Nuria Llagostera Vives61105Ayumi Morita62115Alicia Molik63159Selima Sfar Tripartite Commission Invitation—227Stephanie VogtSteffi Vogt will not participate in Beijing 64NRCara Black
PR Protected/Special Rankings
Rankings as at 9 June 2008
Men's doubles No.RankPlayer ARankPlayer BNOC World Ranking 1 1 Bob Bryan1 Mike Bryan 2 3 Daniel Nestor Frédéric Niemeyer^3 4 Nenad Zimonjić Novak Djokovic^45 Mark Knowles Devin Mullings^56 Pavel Vízner Martin Damm67 Jonathan Erlich7 Andy Ram79 Simon Aspelin Thomas Johansson^810 Julian Knowle Jürgen Melzer^ ITF places 9 Guillermo Cañas^ David Nalbandian^10 Agustín Calleri^ Juan Mónaco^11 Paul Hanley Jordan Kerr 12 Chris Guccione^ Lleyton Hewitt^13 Steve Darcis^ Olivier Rochus^14 Marcelo Melo André Sá15 Fernando González^ Nicolás Massú^16 Zeng Shao-Xuan^ Yu Xinyuan^— Marin Čilić^ Ivan Ljubičić17 Tomáš Berdych^ Radek Štěpánek^18 Arnaud Clément Michaël Llodra^19 Gilles Simon^ Gaël Monfils^20 Nicolas Kiefer^ Rainer Schüttler^21 Andy Murray^ Jamie Murray22 Mahesh Bhupathi Leander Paes23 Simone Bolelli^ Andreas Seppi^24 Mariusz Fyrstenberg Marcin Matkowski25 Igor Andreev^ Nikolay Davydenko^26 Jeff Coetzee Kevin Anderson^27 Nicolás Almagro^ David Ferrer^28 Rafael Nadal^ Tommy Robredo^29 Jonas Björkman^ Robin Söderling^30 Roger Federer^ Stanislas Wawrinka^31 James Blake^ Sam Querrey^32 Dmitry Tursunov^ Mikhail Youzhny^ ^ Players have also qualified to the singles tournament
Women's doubles