7 tennis Olympic champions who never won a Grand Slam ft. Alexander Zverev, Belinda Bencic
Olympic gold medalist Alexander Zverev is still on the hunt to capture his maiden Grand Slam title on the main tour. Winning one of the highest honors in tennis while representing your country is a moment worth savoring for any sportsperson. Former World No. 1 Serena Williams and Venus Williams stand tall as testaments to this thrill, having secured four Olympic Gold medals for the United States of America.
On the men's side, Andy Murray is the only player to capture two Olympic Gold medals in the singles competition. 22-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal and tennis legend Andre Agassi have also managed to win gold medals for their country.
With the 2024 Paris Olympics on the horizon, the current lot of players will be determined to make the most of this rare opportunity. However, the fight is slightly tougher when it comes to representing your nation, as players pull out all the stops and bring their elite skill sets to the table. There have been players in the past, who found their hidden potential in their countries' colors but haven't been able to achieve the same in their Grand Slam careers.
On that note, let's take a look at seven players who've won an Olympic gold medal for their country, but haven't achieved success at the Grand Slam level.
7) Elena Dementieva - Beijing Olympics 2008
Elena Dementieva stunned the tennis fraternity at the 2008 Beijing Olympics by winning a gold medal in the women's singles competition. The Russian made a promising start to her campaign in 2008, capturing her first title at the Dubai Tennis Championships.
She entered the Beijing Olympics on the back of a semifinal appearance at Wimbledon and outclassed formidable competitors such as Caroline Wozniacki, Serena Williams and Vera Zvonareva en route to the finals. Having already lost against Dinara Safina a few months ago, Dementieva mounted a sensational comeback win to outmuscle her fellow Russian 3-6, 7-5, 6-3 in their Gold medal encounter. She became the first Russian to bring back a gold medal in the women's singles competition at the Olympics.
However, the former World No. 3 never tasted success at a Major event on the women's tour. She came extremely close in 2004, securing runner-up finishes at the French Open and the US Open.
6) Monica Puig - Rio Olympics 2016
Former World No. 27 Monica Puig achieved the unthinkable by winning the singles competition in the 2016 Rio Olympics.
The Puerto Rican player had only won two WTA titles in her long career before entering the Olympics in 2016. She put up the best performance of her life in Rio, defeating the likes of Garbine Muguruza, Laura Siegemund, Petra Kvitova and Angelique Kerber to clinch the prestigious Olympic Gold medal. The achievement was not only a milestone in her career but also one of the proudest moments in history for her country Puerto Rico.
On the contrary, Puig never came close to winning a Grand Slam title. Her best result at a Major was reaching the fourth round of the Wimbledon Championships in 2013.
5) Nicolas Massu - Athens Olympics 2004
Six-time ATP champion Nicolas Massu achieved his dream of winning a gold medal at the Athens Olympics in 2004.
Massu was known for his steady all-round game and lightning-fast movement on the court. He entered the Athens Olympics on the back of early exits at the Canada Open and the Cincinnati Open. The Chilean turned things around at the grand stage, outsmarting the likes of Igor Andreev, Carlos Moya and Taylor Dent en route to the finals. He then defeated American talent Mardy Fish in an epic five-set showdown to bring home the Olympic Gold.
Surprisingly, Massu never reached the quarterfinal stage of a Grand Slam event in his career. His best result at a Major was a fourth-round appearance at the US Open in 2005.
4) Belinda Bencic - Tokyo Olympics 2020
World No. 44 Belinda Bencic added a memorable achievement to her list of accolades by winning the singles competition at the Tokyo Olympics in 2020.
The Swiss tennis sensation is one of the most talented players on the women's tour. Her improvement has been evident throughout the years and she is still going strong in her tennis career.
Bencic entered Tokyo on the back of a disappointing first-round exit at Wimbledon. She began her campaign, breezing past Jessica Pegula and then outclassed the likes of Barbora Krejcikova, Elena Rybakina and Marketa Vondrousova to achieve Olympic glory.
The 26-year-old, currently on maternity leave, is yet to win a Grand Slam title though. She was two wins away from breaking the deadlock at the US Open 2019, but Bianca Andreescu stood in her way at the Flushing Meadows.
3) Miloslav Mecir - Summer Olympics Seout, South Korea 1988
Former World No. 4 Miloslav Mecir became the first Slovakian player to win an Olympic Gold medal in men's tennis at the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, South Korea.
Mecir had a solid season in 1988, amassing runner-up finishes at the Rotterdam Open and the Orlando Open. The 6ft tall, right-handed player entered Seoul on the back of a third-round exit at the US Open.
He outclassed the likes of Guy Forget and Michiel Schapers en route to the semifinals and then stunned the top two seeds Stefan Edberg and Tim Mayotte to capture Olympic Gold in the men's singles competition.
Nicknamed the 'Big Cat' for his court coverage and smooth footwork, Mecir became a hero for his nation after the remarkable achievement. However, the Slovakian never got his hands on a Major title in his career.
He came agonizingly close at the US Open 1986 and the Australian Open 1989, but lost in both finals to former World No. 1 Ivan Lendl.
2) Marc Rosset - Summer Olympics Spain 1992
Former World No. 9 Marc Rosset became the first player from Switzerland to win Olympic Gold in men's tennis at the Summer Olympics 1992 in Barcelona, Spain.
After failing to grab a trophy for almost two years on tour, Rosset entered the Barcelona Olympics on the back of a second-round exit in Stuttgart. With Jim Courier and Goran Ivanisevic on his side of the draw, Rosset's chances looked bleak to make a significant impact. However, he brought his A-game to the fore when it mattered the most and outclassed both competitors to reach the finals. The Swiss then registered another hard-fought win against Jordi Arrese in a thrilling five-set match to capture Olympic gold for his country.
Rosset reached the semifinals of the French Open in 1996, which was his best result at a Major event. He put in a massive shift to achieve success at the highest level, but couldn't win a Grand Slam title.
1) Alexander Zverev - Tokyo Olympics 2020
Lastly, World No. 6 Alexander Zverev made Germany proud by winning the gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics 2020. It was a career-defining moment for the 26-year-old, who had been relentlessly putting in the hard yards to achieve success in tennis.
Zverev entered the Tokyo Olympics on the back of a semifinal run at the French Open and a fourth-round finish at the Wimbledon Championships. He outclassed the likes of Nikoloz Basilashvili, Jeremy Chardy and Novak Djokovic en route to the finals and then overpowered Karen Khachanov to achieve Olympic gold for his country.
The lanky German is yet to win a Major title though. Despite being two sets up against Dominic Thiem in the US Open 2020 finals, Zverev couldn't hold his nerve to get the job done. He's reached the last four of a Major on six more occasions but is yet to solve the riddle to lift his career's first Grand Slam.