Tennis was part of the Summer Olympic Games program from the inaugural 1896 Summer Olympics, but was dropped after the 1924 Summer Olympics due to disputes between the International Lawn Tennis Federation and the International Olympic Committee over how to define amateur players. After two appearances as a demonstration sport in 1968 and 1984 (with a U-21 age limit), it returned as a full medal sport at the 1988 Summer Olympics open for all players regardless of their age and status and has been played at every summer Games since then.

Medals In 1896, 1900, 1904, 1988, 1992, semifinal losers shared bronze medals. In all other years, a playoff match for the bronze medal was staged. The Olympic tournaments have increased in perceived importance since their reintroduction, with some players, critics and sports pundits considering winning gold at the Olympics just as prestigious as winning a major title and some considering it even more prestigious.

Gold medal records Both Serena and Venus Williams have each won a record four gold medals, three each as a doubles pairing, the only players to win the same Olympic event on three occasions. Venus Williams (four gold, one silver) and Kathleen McKane Godfree (one gold, two silvers, and two bronzes) are the all-time record holders for the most Olympic tennis medals, with five each. Andy Murray is the only player to have won two singles gold medals, and the only singles player to have retained the Olympic title. Nicolás Massú, Venus Williams, and Serena Williams are the only players in the Open Era to win both the singles and same-sex doubles tournaments at one Games, doing so in 2004, 2000, and 2012 respectively.

Golden Slams A player who wins an Olympic or Paralympic gold medal and all four majors in the same year is said to have won a Golden Slam, while a player that has won all four Grand Slam titles and Olympic gold during their career has a 'career Golden Slam'. As of 2026, Steffi Graf (in 1988) is the only player to have won a single-year Golden Slam. Gigi Fernandez, Serena Williams and Venus Williams are the only players to complete career Golden Slam in doubles twice. In men's tennis, Andre Agassi, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic each won career Golden Slams. Multiple doubles players have achieved the feat, with Serena Williams the only player to complete the career Golden Slam in both singles and doubles. In 2021, wheelchair tennis players Diede de Groot and Dylan Alcott achieved the equivalent wheelchair tennis prize with Paralympic gold, with Alcott additionally completing the single-year Golden Slam.

Tiebreaker games

Since 2021, the deciding set (third) has a 7-point tiebreaker game to decide the match at 6-all. Should the tiebreaker game be tied at 6-all, whoever first establishes a clear two point lead wins the set and the match.

Summary

Year EventsBest Nation 1896 2 (1) 1900 4 (2) 1904 2 (1) 1908 6 (3) 1912 8 (1) 1920 5 (4) 1924 5 (2) 1968 10 (1) 1984 2 (1) 1988 4 (3) 1992 4 (4) 1996 4 (5) 2000 4 (6) 2004 4 (1) 2008 4 (1) 2012 5 (7) 2016 5 (8) 2020 5 (1) 2024 5 (1)

Surface The playing surface of the court varies between Olympic Games. It has been on hard court for every Olympics since 1984 except for the 1992 and 2024 Olympics (which were on a clay court) and the 2012 Olympics (which was played on a grass court).

The 1908 and the 1920 editions of the Olympics were the two other instances that tennis was played on grass courts.

The 1908 and 1912 editions of the Olympic games were the only instances that indoor tennis competitions were contested alongside the outdoor ones, but since then it has only been outdoor. Those indoor competitions were also the only instances that wooden surfaces were used for tennis at the Olympics.

From the 1896 until the 1904 editions of the Olympics, tennis was contested on clay courts. Clay courts were in use again for the 1912, 1924 and at the 1968 editions of the Olympics, but would only be used again at the 1992 Olympics.

The changing playing surface gives certain players different advantages and disadvantages not seen in most other Olympic sports. On three occasions, the event has been held, wholly or partly, at a Grand Slam venue - twice at the All-England Tennis Club at Wimbledon (1908 and 2012) and once at Roland Garros in Paris (2024).

Events (d) = demonstration event, (e) = exhibition event

Event 96 00 04 08 12 20 24 28–64 68 72–80 84 88 92 96 00 04 08 12 16 20 24 28 Editions Men's singles X X X X X X X (d, e) (d) X X X X X X X X X X X 18 Men's doubles X X X X X X X (d, e) X X X X X X X X X X X 18 Women's singles X X X X X (d, e) (d) X X X X X X X X X X X 16 Women's doubles X X (d, e) X X X X X X X X X X X 14 Mixed doubles X X X X (d, e) colspan="8" X X X X X 9 Men's singles (indoor) X X colspan="17" 2 Men's doubles (indoor) X X colspan="17" 2 Women's singles (indoor) X X colspan="17" 2 Mixed doubles (indoor) X colspan="17" 1 Total 2 4 2 6 8 5 5 — 0 — 0 4 4 4 4 4 4 5 5 5 5 5 18

Surface 96 00 04 08 12 20 24 28–64 68 72–80 84 88 92 96 00 04 08 12 16 20 24 28 YearsIndoor X X 2Outdoor X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 20Carpet 0Clay X X X X X X X X 8Grass X X X 3Hard X X X X X X X X X 9Wood X X 2

Champions and venues

List of gold medalists and venues where the Games took place listed below.

Amateur Era (1896–1924)

EventVenueSurfaceMen's singlesWomen's singlesMen's doublesWomen's doublesMixed doubles1896Athens Athens Lawn Tennis Club Clay John BolandNot held John Boland Friedrich Traun Not heldNot held1900Paris Cercle des Sports, Île de Puteaux Clay Laurence Doherty Charlotte Cooper Laurence Doherty Reginald Doherty Charlotte Cooper Reginald Doherty1904St. Louis Francis Field Clay Beals WrightNot held Beals Wright Edgar LeonardNot held 1908London Queen's Club (indoor) Wood Arthur Gore Gwendoline Eastlake-Smith Herbert Roper Barrett Arthur Gore All England Club Grass Major Ritchie Dorothea Lambert Chambers Reginald Doherty George Hillyard1912Stockholm Östermalm Tennis Pavilion (indoor) Wood André Gobert Edith Hannam Maurice Germot André Gobert Edith Hannam Charles Dixon Östermalm Tennis Pavilion Clay Charles Winslow Marguerite Broquedis Harold Kitson Charles Winslow Dorothea Köring Heinrich Schomburgk 1920Antwerp Beerschot Tennis Club Grass Louis Raymond Suzanne Lenglen Noel Turnbull Max Woosnam Kathleen McKane Winifred McNair Suzanne Lenglen Max Decugis 1924Paris Stade Olympique Yves-du-Manoir Clay Vincent Richards Helen Wills Francis Hunter Vincent Richards Hazel Wightman Helen Wills Hazel Wightman R. Norris Williams

Open Era (1988–present)

EventVenueSurfaceMen's singlesWomen's singlesMen's doublesWomen's doublesMixed doubles1988Seoul Seoul Olympic Park Tennis Center Hard Miloslav Mečíř Steffi Graf Ken Flach Robert Seguso Pam Shriver Zina GarrisonNot held1992Barcelona Tennis de la Vall d'Hebron Clay Marc Rosset Jennifer Capriati Boris Becker Michael Stich Gigi Fernández Mary Joe Fernández1996Atlanta Stone Mountain Tennis Center Hard Andre Agassi Lindsay Davenport Todd Woodbridge Mark Woodforde Gigi Fernández Mary Joe Fernández 2000Sydney Sydney Olympic Park Tennis Centre Hard Yevgeny Kafelnikov Venus Williams Sébastien Lareau Daniel Nestor Serena Williams Venus Williams2004Athens Athens Olympic Tennis Centre Hard Nicolás Massú Justine Henin Fernando González Nicolás Massú Li Ting Sun Tiantian2008BeijingNational Tennis Center Hard Rafael Nadal Elena Dementieva Roger Federer Stanislas Wawrinka Serena Williams Venus Williams 2012LondonAll England Club Grass Andy Murray Serena Williams Bob Bryan Mike Bryan Serena Williams Venus Williams Victoria Azarenka Max Mirnyi2016Rio de JaneiroOlympic Tennis Centre Hard Andy Murray Monica Puig Marc López Rafael Nadal Ekaterina Makarova Elena Vesnina Bethanie Mattek-Sands Jack Sock2020TokyoAriake Tennis Park Hard Alexander Zverev Belinda Bencic Nikola Mektić Mate Pavić Barbora Krejčíková Kateřina Siniaková Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova Andrey Rublev2024ParisStade Roland Garros Clay Novak Djokovic Zheng Qinwen Matthew Ebden John Peers Sara Errani Jasmine Paolini Kateřina Siniaková Tomáš Macháč2028Los AngelesDignity Health Sports Park Hard2032BrisbaneQueensland Tennis Centre Hard

Participating nations